Science & Sensibility » In Response: “The Doctors” Got it All Wrong

Instead of re-writing a response to the recent "The Doctors" show about epidurals, read this great response from the Science & Sensibility blog.

Science & Sensibility » In Response: “The Doctors” Got it All Wrong

Who has time for sex? Don't miss this moms-only workshop on March 26

By Guest Blogger Kelly Grocoff, LSW

Why teach a class called “Sex and Intimacy After Baby: Making it Matter for Moms”? Aren’t there a thousand other things mothers need to worry about? Who has time for sex?

In my classes and workshops, I make a case for sex. Why? Sexual health concerns are as important as any other health concern. Healthy sexual activity has numerous medical and psychological benefits, including many that are important for mothers, such as improving mood, aiding in sleep and keeping the pelvic floor muscles strengthened and toned.

My next workshop, for moms only, will be held at the Lamaze Family Center on Saturday, March 26 from 1:00pm-6:00pm. It will be an opportunity for moms to get answers to some of the trickiest postpartum questions, and engage in honest, thoughtful discussion about how to re-establish sex and intimacy after having children.

Many couples find that along with the multiple joys, challenges and changes of child-rearing comes an end to "Sex as We Know It." For some it gets better, but for many others it gets worse; it can create distance between two partners and is often marked by physical or emotional pain. But instead of accepting sub-par sex as the new normal, I encourage couples to identify what is not working, talk about the changes and make a commitment to their sexual relationship. For many couples, the postpartum period is the first time they have ever had to talk about sex. With commitment, honesty, and a sense of humor, couples can start a life long conversation that will help them adapt to a sexual relationship that inevitably changes throughout the life span.

Some common questions mothers have are: will I ever get my sex drive back? Why is my partner so interested in sex when I am not at all? Why should I consider sex when all I want to do with my free time is sleep or take care of things around the house? How can I show my postpartum body to my husband? Our kids are now much older and it seems like our sex life is forever changed. How can I learn how to enjoy sex again?

In “Sex and Intimacy After Baby” we discuss these questions, and many more. I hope to see you there.

Register now for the March 26th workshop, from 1:00pm-6:00pm at Lamaze Family Center Ann Arbor. The five-hour workshop is $60 and includes the great book "Sex Matters for Women," by Sallie Foley, MSW; Sally A. Kope, MSW and Dennis P. Sugrue, PhD. The workshop is for moms only and open to any mom who has given birth in the last ten years.

Expectant Moms: Come to Nesting, a Creative Prenatal Retreat at Blue House

Lamaze Family Center Ann Arbor and Blue House proudly introduce a retreat on Saturday, March 5, dedicated to a day of creative empowerment for expecting moms. Whether you are a first time mom or a busy momma expecting #3, pregnancy is a journey to cherish. What better way to mark this time in your life than to celebrate what matters most. Come enjoy a day just for you and your baby.

The retreat includes two crafting projects (no previous experience required, so don't be intimidated if you aren't a Martha Stewart-type!), delicious local food, prenatal yoga session, and a comfort measures and birth wish list session, co-facilitated by yours truly (Meredith Lovelace, LCCE, one of the Lamaze Family Center's childbirth educators.)

The retreat is on Saturday, March 5, from 9:30am-4:00pm at Blue House Ann Arbor, 1026 South Main St. (corner of Main and Pauline, across from the Big House.) Limited to 20 mommas, so sign up now if you are interested!

Go to Blue House's site for more information and to register.

Induction of Labor Info Posted at Childbirth Connection

Childbirth Connection has launched a new area of their Web site to provide evidence-based information about the benefits, harms, and appropriate use of induction of labor, which affects approximately one-third of births in the US. According to Childbirth Connection, a systematic review of evidence published in 2009 found that many of the accepted medical indications for labor induction lack rigorous research demonstrating health benefits. Another systematic review published late last year demonstrated harms of elective induction of labor (without medical indication). The new resource sums up the evidence from these reviews and other high quality studies to help childbearing women make informed choices. The resource can be accessed at http://www.childbirthconnection.org/induction. The site was launched as part of a partnership with the March of Dimes and the Leapfrog Group.

The Leapfrog Group, an organization aimed at mobilizing large employers to improve health care quality, released data from their national hospital survey that shows many hospitals falling far short of targets to eliminate elective deliveries before 39 weeks. The database of hospital rates can be found at http://www.leapfroggroup.org/tooearlydeliveries.

Summarized from National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition newsletter, 1/31/11

Two Birth Stories for One Baby Boy

Guest Blogger Sara Saylor reflects on her adopted son's two birth stories today on his third birthday.

My son has two birth stories. One took place in a small village in Ethiopia. The other happened 8,324 miles away in Dallas, Texas.

Buturo was born in rural Ethiopia. As I listen to my friends talk about prenatal care, doulas and birthing plans, I think about my son’s first mother. I’ve tried to imagine the day he was born. I think of her pushing him into the world as the sun streamed through her thatched roof. Who was with her? A sister? A midwife? What did she think when she held his little, slippery body for the first time? What did she hope for him when she gave him the name Buturo, which means hard worker? Did she picture him becoming a farmer like his father? I can’t imagine she ever thought he’d grow up half a world away.

Around the same time Buturo took his first breath, my husband and I gave birth to our adoption plan. We had been through two painful miscarriages. It had rocked us to the core. Although I underwent numerous invasive tests to try to figure out why my body had failed me, there wasn’t a magic answer, no certain explanation. Maybe it was a clotting disorder. Maybe it was just bad luck. There was no reason not to try again, but we just couldn’t. It had been too hard, too heartbreaking. So we decided to adopt. The outcome seemed more certain. Eventually we’d become parents even if it took awhile.

So in January 2008, two mothers a world apart, held this new child in their hearts. She likely dreamed of a good life for him. And I dreamed of being there for a child who needed me. Buturo is celebrating his his third birthday today at our home in Ann Arbor, and we will not only celebrate his birthday, but we will also light a candle to honor the woman who gave him life.

Lamaze Staff Members Represented at UofM's Breastfeeding Support Team

By Cara Genisio, LCCE

Earlier this month I was fortunate to attend a meeting with the Breastfeeding Support Team at the University of Michigan Hospital. The BST is a group of labor and postpartum nurses with additional training in breastfeeding; they work to provide support to breastfeeding mothers and their newborns during the time that the moms and babies are at the hospital after birth.

Moira Tannenbaum, one of our Breastfeeding class instructors, attended the meeting with me, and we were both proud to represent the Lamaze Family Center and to speak for the prenatal educators in our community. Attending the meeting definitely strengthened my pride in what the LFCAA does to provide a supportive space for nursing moms, both before and after their babies are born.

All of us moms—and I include myself, as a nursing mom of a four-month-old boy—know how vital emotional and social support are to successful breastfeeding. The feeling that we can breastfeed safely and confidently in public; the feeling that our families and health care providers understand the patterns and rhythms of normal newborn breastfeeding; the knowledge that there are resources in our community should we encounter some bumps in the road—all of these things contribute to a strong foundation, a dependable surface to stand on and hold us up despite the inevitable challenges that we face in our personal breastfeeding journeys.

Program for our auction now online!

There is still time to join Lamaze Family Center for our 2011 FUNdraising kick-off event with our (first annual) Sweets, Treats & Silent Auction on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 7:30pm - 10:00pm at Zingerman's Bakehouse!

Come support Lamaze and the many local businesses, services and artists who have donated great items to our 2011 kick-off event. We are featuring items and services from over 60 local businesses. Come shop local, get a head start on your holiday gifts, and support a great organization!

Here is a sneak peek of just some of the great items available this Saturday:

* Zingerman's Baking Class
* Photography packages by Cheryl Hall, Draugalis, Edda Pacifico and Michelle Massey Barnes
* Whole Foods Gift Basket
* Britax Car Seat donated by The Little Seedling
* Four Big Chill Big House tickets for the UofM vs. MSU game on December 11th
* Buffalo Sabres team jersey signed by Ryan Miller, US Olympic Silver Medalist

Tickets are still available on our website or at the door.

Please join us for a great night out: wine, coffee and desserts by Zingerman's included. The event is being hosted in the Zingerman's Bakehouse CAKE! room at 3711 Plaza Drive, in between the Bakehouse and the Creamery near the Ann Arbor Airport.

View the complete program or buy your tickets today!