State Laws for Moms & Newborns

In this list are links to state laws that affect families and newborns:

Midwives. Midwifery care is the standard world-wide. The medical model- obstetrics- is the standard of care in the United States. The US also scores poorly, depite all the medical advances, in mother and baby injury and death prevention. Countries that use midwives as the primary pregnancy care-givers have better mother & baby health. Midwifery organization in the United States are working to protect a mother's choice to use a midwife, at home, a birthing center, or in the hospital, rather than have obstetrics ast he only option.

Newborn's and Mother's Health Protection Act (1996). This is about the length of postpartum stay.

Newborn Screening for Metabolic & Genetic Disorders. Different states mandate different blood panels, so not every state requires the same screenings.

Newborn Hearing Screening.

Breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is the natural and best way to feed a baby.

Maternity Leave.

Vaccines. Many people think vaccines (immunizations) are absolutely mandatory, but they are not. A parent may choose to not vaccinate or delay vaccines.

The following link is for a national organization that works to prevent legalized abuse of women during pregnancy and birth:
National Advocates for Pregnant Women.

Emergency Preparedness for Pregnant Women and Families

With all the focus on "Frankenstorm", does your family know what to do to prepare for an emergency?

There are National and State-wide resources for emergency preparedness. Families and individuals do need to maintain the basics of being prepared so that when an emergency may or does happen, response can be quick and panic is reduced. Here are some links for emergency preparedness:

Ready, a National source.
FEMA, another National source.

For those in Maryland:
MEMA, for the state of Maryland.
Each county will also have its own source.

Pregnant women and families with small children and infants have additional needs:

March of Dimes: Prepare for disaster. General advice and ways to keep safe.
ACNM: Guide to Emergency Childbirth. Not a plan for a planned unassisted birth, but a plan to be prepared if you cannot connect with your caregiver during a disaster situation.
Make a Plan from WomensHealth.gov. Please note: they do advise knowing how to wear your baby!
Breastfeeding and Emergencies. Breastfeeding is the safest way to feed infants during emergencies!
Gribble, K. "Infant Feeding in Emergency Situations." Please note she recommends relactating or wet nursing as safer for infants than use of breastmilk substitutes, She also recommends using a cup rather than bottles and nipples if not breastfeeding, as sterilization is a problem during emergencies.

Please note that infants and toddlers who are breastfed will have a ready source of safe fluids and nutrition in their mother. The biggest risk with artificial feeding during emergency situations is contamination of the water needed to mix formula, lack of enough water or formula, being unable to safely store breastmilk substitutes, and inability to sterilize materials needed to artificially feed a baby. Families who choose artificial feeding need to be prepared ahead of time to have enough safe water and formula available, and whatever else they need to reduce risk. I have read information that claims pre-prepared formula is safest, to avoid having to use contaminated water to feed your baby, but please remember that during power outages, pre-prepared formula cannot be stored- the fridge will not keep the formula cold enough to be safe to use.

Rice Socks

Doulas almost always have the handy-dandy rice sock available for laboring mommas. Rice socks are also useful for postpartum and any other time heat or cold might help with pain or injury. Rice socks can be scented using essential oils. They are easily made.

Basic ingredients:

• One pair long tube socks
• Plain, uncooked rice (different types of rice smell differently when heated)
• Funnel, if preferred
• Thread and needle, if preferred
• Essential oil, of preferred (lavender, vanilla, etc.)

To make a rice sock, take one sock, and pour the uncooked rice into the sock, filling it about 3/4 of the way. Use of a funnel can make this process easier. If you want to add an essential oil, you can add a few drops to the rice before closing the sock up. Tie (or sew, if you are handy with a needle and thread) the sock tightly closed. Use the remaining sock as a washable cover- roll it onto the filled sock and when it gets dirty, take it off and wash, then place back on the rice sock. Do not wash the sock with the rice in it! If you are good at sewing, you can also make a soft cover out of pretty fabric.

A rice sock can be kept in the freezer, ready to use as a cold pack. More often, they are heated for 2-4 minutes in a microwave and then used as a heat pack. You can make them different sizes. Long men's tube socks work great to mold around a laboring mother's belly or across her back and hips. A shorter sock can be used to across the neck and shoulders for tension relief.

World Breastfeeding Week 2012

Today starts World Breastfeeding Week 2012- the 20th annual celebration of breastfeeding!

This is a terrific time for anyone to learn more about breastfeeding and supporting mothers who choose to breastfeed. There are numerous obstacles in the way of a woman choosing to breastfeed- from body image to family pressure to not knowing how to handle issues that might develop and, especially, not knowing the accurate information and resources that are available. Even if breastfeeding isn't for you or your family, it still helps to support mothers who choose to breastfeed!

Here is the official website for World Breastfeeding Week 2012.

Here is a long list of resources on breastfeeding provided by Mothering.com.

Mindful Birthing by Nancy Bardacke, CNM: A Book Review

Walking through the bookstore- one of my favorite places to be- I happened on a bright yellow birth preparation book that I had never seen before. Prominently displayed in the front of the store, the book's cheerful cover beckoned. A quick examination of the back cover and the table of contents piqued my interest even further. As a birth advocate and doula, as well as slight familiarity with the practice of mindfulness, I was doubly curious to explore this unique text.

Mindful Birthing is a beautifully written description of the Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP) program. Mindfulness is an ancient meditation practice that teaches the experience of the moment and suspension of judgement. This program takes the attitudes of mindfulness practice- beginning mind, non-judging, patience, non-striving, trust, acknowledgment, letting be, and kindness- and works them into the process of preparing for birth, giving birth, and handling the highs and lows of parenting. While there is some discussion of the mechanics of birth, the pain and fear surrounding birth, and the realities of the high-tech obstetrical experience most American women will experience, Ms. Bardacke goes above and beyond and gets to the heart of the matter- teaching skills that benefit parents long past those hours of labor and the birth of their child. The true beauty of this program is the transformation from where a mother and her partner are during the pregnancy into a self-awareness that helps them cope and grow beyond the birth.

For mothers-to-be, this is a book that can help you and your partner through pregnancy and beyond. Exercises for learning mindfulness and how to use mindfulness during labor and birth are clearly explained and practice guidelines are given. There are also examples of how mindfulness helps as you parent your new baby and grow as a couple and family.

For doulas, childbirth instructors, and care-providers, this book offers a look at techniques that can help mothers and support people we work with. Many techniques will seem familiar- breathing, walking, relaxation- but seen through a mindful awareness.

“Your labor will be as unique as you are in this moment...”

“These attuned moments of interaction between you and your baby and between your baby and intimate others are forming her or his neurological pathways, pathways that develop their capacity to form strong bonds, tell them that people can be trusted and that the world is basically a safe- and pretty interesting- place. Its part of setting a tone for their entire lives.”

To learn more, visit Nancy Bardacke's website.