Wordless Wednesday: Family Photos

Instead of Wild Wednesday this week... here is a Wordless Wednesday post. How much do you love taking family photos?

Mommy Monday: Birthday Party Gifts

Saturday I took the girls to Target to try to find a present for a 3 year old little boy.

They don't know this little boy, but I am friends with his mom and they were invited to his party.

We spent a lot of time at the store trying to decide was a 3 year old boy would want for his birthday. Since my girls are 2 and 4 it took a little while for them to figure out that one daughter is almost 3 and the other was 3. I am still not sure they got it.

Anyway, we ended up picking out a Cars Memory Game HERE

So I have a couple questions here...

1. How much money do you spend on birthday gifts for friends kids?

2. Where do you get birthday gifts for other children?

3. What are the best 3 year old boy gifts that are made by moms??

Send us your links, etsy addresses, and facebook pages to like so we can share the love and I can stop buying generic, boring gifts like Memory!!

Special Guest Sunday: Sticky Bellies

I am going to try and highlight some of the other "Momprenuers" who secured audition spots with us for the "Born By Mom" reality TV show.

These are some AMAZING companies and it will be so much fun to meet them and learn about how they do it all!

The first company I wanted to introduce you to is Sticky Bellies.

Like them on Facebook HERE

http://www.facebook.com/stickybellies

Their website is HERE

http://www.stickybellies.com/

Basically these are super cute stickers you use for documenting fun mommy milestones... weeks of pregnancy, months for your baby up to toddler, and birthdays.

Here is one of their sets of stickers. Super affordable at $14.99

Go take a look at their photo galleries... once you see those adorable babies and bellies you will order some ASAP!

Reality TV Audition... Here we come!

LaborLooks Maternity Hospital Gowns will be auditioning for the "Born by Moms" reality TV Show next month. This show will be hosted by Ali Landry and feature companies and products created by "mompreneurs" ~ with a focus on the story of the mom(s) behind the product.

How did we find out about this show? Companies exhibiting at the ABC Kids Expo in Kentucky next month were emailed a press release about the show. To apply for an audition, they were asked to leave a post on the SpokesMoms facebook page about their company. The ten companies with the most likes would be given audition spots. We liked the SpokesMoms facebook page and placed our entry. Then shared the link on our business and personal facebook pages! WOW ~ we were overwhelmed by the response and want to share a couple of posts and comments that LaborLooks received.

“I gave birth to my twins in a beautiful LaborLooks gown. In fact I bought two because the hospital in Bonn, Germany doesn't provide gowns at all! Thanks for producing a wonderful product and good luck with the reality show.” Amy B.

“I love my LaborLooks gown. I can't wait to use it in December when my little one makes its grand entrance. The company is great to work with too.” Cristen B.

"I vote for Labor Looks!!! Awesome product & awesome ladies!" ♥ Rachel R.

Every comment and vote made us smile! The auditions will be in the end of September ~ we will keep you posted as we prepare. We are excited about sharing our product and letting moms everywhere know they have comfortable & functional gown options for Labor, Delivery and Recovery!

Not the best picture but Brittani and Ashley (babywearing of course!) and saying thanks for your support!

Wild Wednesday: Perks

There are some perks about working in a "doctors office" I use the term doctor loosely because we all know I am a midwife and not a doctor, and most of the time when you are at your "doctor's office" you are really seeing a PA or a Nurse Practioner.

The first picture here is of an obvious perk:

Sprinkles Cupcakes. Seriously Amazing. HERE
I ate 2 of them. But don't worry. There are more for tomorrow. I am hoping to hold out and just eat 1.

Today I was also blessed with 2 boxes of paradise bakery cookies. Now I could be selfish and bring them all home, but I really want my Medical Assistants to be nice to me so I left them open in the back so everyone could eat as many as they wanted.


Who are these from? Well, I could dive into the evils of the drug reps who are trying to buy my business/soul for some cookies, but that is not where this is going.

Okay, maybe it is. But maybe not... did you know I don't edit these posts? I just type them and push "Publish." So we will see where this goes...

I like to think that I am above all that. I like to think that I don't sell my soul for a cupcake or a nice dinner out, but the thing is, I often do try their product when they come around.

For example. There is a new birth control pill out on the market. It is Lo Lo Estrin. This is the lowest dose of estrogen on the market in a birth control pill (besides no estrogen birth control pills). It is new and since it is new the company is putting a lot of money into marketing it. So the rep comes by with cookies, lunches, and promises of dinner. This is a 10mcg estrogen pill.

My medical assistants get off great. They get all the perks but they don't have to listen, research, and learn all about the side effects and benefits of these pills. I listen, I learn, I read, I ask questions, and I really truly look into the studies and trials that have been done.

Because of all this information I have been prescribing the Lo Lo Estrin to some patients who I think are good candidates and can't tolerate other birth control options. The lower estrogen is supposed to help reduces some of the negative side effects of estrogen that women see in typical birth control pills. These side effects are things like nausea, breast tenderness, and mood swings. The pill is also supposed to reduce cramps, acne, and length of periods.

So yes, I got some cupcakes and cookies today, I will probably write some prescriptions for this medication in the future, but until I get feedback from my patients (good or bad)... that is when I will really decide if those cookies are worth it.

Guess what guys? A happy patient is much better than an afternoon with some sprinkles cupcakes.

Win-win is sprinkles cupcakes and a happy patient.

"Born by Moms" Reality TV Show

LaborLooks will be exhibiting at the ABC Kids Expo Sept 23-26th. We will be first time exhibitors and featured in Maternity Square booth #1930. Nerves and Excitement!!!

Here is a portion of a recent ABC Kids Expo Press Release…

“All Baby & Child, Inc. and the ABC Kids Expo® are excited to announce the launch of a new reality TV show, "Born by Moms," at the 2011 ABC Kids Expo in Louisville, KY.

This new television production focuses on products invented by mompreneurs—entrepreneurs who happen to be moms. The show will be hosted by Ali Landry, who is expecting her second child, and will create an unprecedented opportunity for new companies to spotlight their products and generate immediate interest as only national television coverage can.“

We then received additional details on how to submit our company for consideration. Our instructions were to go to the www.facebook.com/spokesmoms page and share a brief description about our company. The ten companies with the most “likes” on their post will receive an automatic audition.

Brittani and I definitely fit the "mompreneur" definition. We both work full time jobs and are full time moms. Lucky to do what we love ~ we are surrounded by pregnant moms and new babies daily. We know our gowns are an excellent product. More importantly, we are excited about the support that we are able to offer women, through our everyday interactions, phone calls, emails, blog, facebook posts, etc. We hope we provide a place where pregnant women and new moms can feel supported and be open and honest.

How exciting is this opportunity?!? I can’t tell you enough how much we appreciate your support of our company and how excited we are for all “Born by Moms” companies ~ we will keep you posted through our journey!

Please help support us and visit the link below to vote for us to get onto a reality TV show!
http://www.facebook.com/SpokesMoms/posts/202228976504407

Mommy Monday: From the Mouth of Babes

My *sister midwife* from Colorado posted this on her facebook page yesterday:

Me: "Lola, quit holding your peebug and go to the potty.

Lola: "Mom, it's not a peebug, it's a vagina.

'I stand corrected'

Lola is 4 1/2.

Only the daughter of a midwife? Right?

What things do your kids say that blow you out of the water?

Fashion Friday: Owls

I love the Owls are so "in" right now. They are cute and can be made any color. They are really popular, popping up all over target and kohls and basically everywhere you look.

That doesn't make them less cute does it??

I also LOVE that they are gender neutral.

You all know how much I love and support etsy... so maybe my next baby will get an owl themed room from etsy. Since I may or may not find out the sex... I could do that, right??

Check out the print HERE

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69734690/owl-always-love-you-wall-art-8x10-baby?ref=sc_4

Thankful Thursday: WINNERS

This cute Mama... along with another soon-to-be laborlooks Mama won our 1000 fans giveaway on facebook!

So fun to have a tie... better luck next time to the rest of you!

Maybe a 1500 give away??

Wild Wednesday: Tina Fey gives birth!

So I am not really big on keeping up with all the celebrity pregnancies and births, but you all know I love Tina Fey... So here is a cute announcement that I found from HERE

http://pregnancy-blog.parentingweekly.com/2011/08/tina-fey-gave-birth.html

Tina Fey Gave Birth!

Comedic actress Tina Fey (41) has welcomed her second child with husband Jeff Richmond (51). The 30 Rock star gave birth on August 10th to a baby girl. The couple named her Penelope Athena. Tina revealed on Ellen Degeneres' show that the couple were keeping the gender a secret. She joked: "We decided we are going to wait [to find out the baby's sex]. We’re going to find out…never. Not even after it’s born. I’m just going to see what it chooses to wear to prom."

Penelope joins 5-year-old sister Alice.

Congratulations to the happy family!

What do you think of the name Penelope Athena?

Tina Fey Welcomes Baby No. 2: Penelope Athena!

Mommy Monday: Movie break

Sometimes as a mommy we need to make serious decisions... fast...

Like when to turn off a movie cause they have watched TV for more than their allotted time.

My 4 year old daughter caught me on camera in a silly mood. I hid the remote control in my shirt- hence the very lumpy/ pointy chest area.

Seriously. I had to make a quick decision and it was time for the TV to be turned off. So, turn it off, hide the remote.

What kind of crazy things do you do to convince your kids to change behavior?

Special Guest Sunday: Little Sis Devyn

Here is my cute sister at 20 weeks pregnant....What are your most coveted items for pregnancy or birth or after/for the baby?

She is looking into this:

Thankful Thursday: 1000 FANS!

We hit a milestone with our company today! What could that be??

We hit 1000 fans on facebook :)

I know, we get excited over the little things.

Guess what the best part is?

We are having a facebook only giveaway!

First.... Like us on facebook, then

Second... leave a comment on our page telling us one thing that you LOVE about Laborlooks (anything from your favorite gown to a specific tweet or blog post).

Third... You can only enter one time.

The comment with the most likes at 6PM on Thursday August 18th, 2011 is the winner of a $50 Babies R Us gift card. All of the fans that liked the winning entry will be entered into a drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card.

We hope you get creative and we hope you enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/laborlooks

Wild Wednesday: Miracle Baby

This is such an amazing story. Found HERE

Miracle of baby boy born full term despite his mother's waters breaking at just 16 WEEKS

By ANDREW LEVY

Last updated at 12:19 AM on 9th August 2011

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When Laura Hill’s waters broke after only 16 weeks of pregnancy, doctors advised her to seek a termination.

Not only was her own health at risk but the baby had only a one per cent chance of survival. Even then he would probably have devastating problems such as brain damage.

But certain she had already felt his first kicks, Miss Hill defied the doctors’ advice.

Thrilled: Laura Hill's son Charlie was born on her own birthday. He had been given a one per cent chance of survival

‘I said one per cent is still a chance he could live and I didn’t want to give up on my baby,’ she said.

She gave birth to Charlie after a pregnancy that almost lasted a full term, and five months later he is in perfect health. ‘I was determined to hold on to him,’ said Miss Hill, 20, from Norwich. ‘I just wanted to keep him safe.’

More...

• Indian woman with two wombs gives birth to two boys - one from each uterus - beating odds of 50million to one
• My Charlie, born at 23 weeks, the living proof that abortion limit has to be slashed

Miss Hill, who lives with trainee mechanic Richard Folkard, 22, and their two-year-old daughter, Tillie, had a scan at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital after her waters broke.

‘I was told I was likely to go into labour within two weeks and that the baby only had a one per cent chance of survival and if he did survive there would be a chance of brain damage or lung deformities,’ she said.

Over the following weeks she had scans and blood tests twice a week while preparing for the worst by planning her unborn baby’s funeral.

Happy family: Charlie is enchanted with his big sister Tillie

At 21 weeks the tests revealed the membrane had resealed and by 24 weeks she was ‘amazed’ to be told it had completely filled up with amniotic fluid again.

Charlie was born weighing 7lb 3oz on her birthday – March 1. ‘He cried but it was a weak cry so I started panicking,’ she said. ‘But then the midwife told me “He’s perfectly normal. He’s your little miracle”.’

Mr Folkard said: ‘When I first saw his head and heard his first cry I thought, “We have got our little boy. He’s safe here with us”. I was so happy.’

Consultant obstetrician Alastair McKelvey said things had looked ‘bleak’ for Miss Hill as she was weeks away from a viable birth and the lack of amniotic fluid would normally prevent the foetus’s lungs from developing properly.

‘But, wonderfully, when the time came and Laura had a normal birth the baby’s breathing was completely normal. Whilst Laura’s story is not unique, it is the first I’ve seen in my career.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2023442/Miracle-baby-born-mothers-waters-break-half-way-pregnancy--refuses-abortion.html#ixzz1UXimrwSC

Mommy Monday: MONDAY!

Today was a Monday. Today I let my daughter walk out of the house in a swimsuit coverup.

That was after I found her in the sink putting on lotion.

When I was late for work.

She may or may not have had shoes on.

However, I found her older sister's flip flops in the car.

So she went in a swimsuit coverup, with or without her big sister's flip flops on, covered in lotion. And I was late.

Ah Monday... how many more of you are there??

Fashion Friday: Announcement

Wouldn't this be a fun way to announce a pregnancy?

Just a simple necklace that some may see and others may not.

Just that quiet, no extra hustle and bustle?

Kind of like letting people in on a really exciting secret little by little.
Loving this idea. No announcement from this peanut gallery... but I am anxiously awaiting an announcement from my business partner.

Just sayin...

I really want another nephew.

(one sissy is already baking me a niece, so I want to keep things even.)

Check it out HERE

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62407324/pitter-patter-coming-soon-handstamped?ref=sr_gallery_34&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=pregnancy&ga_order=date_desc&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

Thankful Thursday: Government News

Guess who has finally decided that breast pumps, supplies, and counseling should be covered by health insurance??!!

Thank You. Thank You.

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 1, 2011

Contact: HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343

Afford

able Care Act Ensures Women Receive Preventive Services at No Addition
al Cost

Historic new guidelines that will ensure women receive preventive health services at no additional cost were announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Developed by the independent Institute of Medicine, the new guidelines require new health insurance plans to cover women’s preventive services such as well-woman visits, breastfeeding support, domestic violence screening, and contraception without charging a co-payment, co-insurance or a deductible.

The Affordable Care Act helps stop health problems before they start,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “These historic guidelines are based on science and existing literature and will help ensure women get the preventive health benefits they need.”

Before health reform, too many Americans didn’t get the preventive health care they need to stay healthy, avoid or delay the onset of disease, lead productive lives, and reduce health care costs. Often because of cost, Americans used preventive services at about half the recommended rate.

Last summer, HHS released new insurance market rules under the Affordable Care Act requiring all new private health plans to cover several evidence-based preventive services like mammograms, colonoscopies, blood pressure checks, and childhood immunizations without charging a copayment, deductible or coinsurance. The Affordable Care Act also made recommended preventive services free for people on Medicare.

Today's announcement builds on that progress by making sure women have access to a full range of recommended preventive services without cost sharing, including:

• well-woman visits;
• screening for gestational diabetes;
• human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing for women 30 years and older;
• sexually-transmitted infection counseling;
• human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening and counseling;
• FDA-approved contraception methods and contraceptive counseling;
• breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling; and
• domestic violence screening and counseling.

New health plans will need to include these services without cost sharing for insurance policies with plan years beginning on or after August 1, 2012. The rules governing coverage of preventive services which allow plans to use reasonable medical management to help define the nature of the covered service apply to women’s preventive services. Plans will retain the flexibility to control costs and promote efficient delivery of care by, for example, continuing to charge cost-sharing for branded drugs if a generic version is available and is just as effective and safe for the patient to use.

The administration also released an amendment to the prevention regulation that allows religious institutions that offer insurance to their employees the choice of whether or not to cover contraception services. This regulation is modeled on the most common accommodation for churches available in the majority of the 28 states that already require insurance companies to cover contraception. HHS welcomes comment on this policy.

Previously, preventive services for women had been recommended one-by-one or as part of guidelines targeted at men as well.
As such, the HHS directed the independent Institute of Medicine to, for the first time ever, conduct a scientific review and provide recommendations on specific preventive measures that meet women’s unique health needs and help keep women healthy. HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) used the IOM report issued July 19, when developing the guidelines that are being issued today. The IOM’s report relied on independent physicians, nurses, scientists, and other experts to make these determinations based on scientific evidence.Today’s announcement is another part of the Obama Administration’s broader effort to address the health and well-being of our communities through initiatives such as the President’s Childhood Obesity Task Force, the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign, the National Quality Strategy, and the National Prevention Strategy.

For more information on the HHS guidelines for expanding women’s preventive services, please visit:http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/womensprevention08012011a.html. The guidelines can be found at:www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines/.

To learn more about the Affordable Care Act, please visit www.healthcare.gov.

Wild Wednesday: $1000 Speeding Ticket!

I found this article a few days ago HERE

What do you think??

Man Gets $1,000 Speeding Ticket Trying To Save His Baby

Police had no sympathy for a father driving his family to hospital to avert tragedy

Posted: Jul 26, 2011

6612 comments

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Rushing to save his baby's life, David Weber was issued a huge speeding ticket (JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS).

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A man in Manitoba, Canada has been given a whopping $1,000 ticket and a suspended driver's license as punishment for speeding to the hospital in order to save the life of his pregnant wife and his unborn child, reported the Winnipeg Free Press.

David Weber and his wife Genevieve one day last March were on their way home from a day of shopping when she began to have contractions. Genevieve was 38 weeks pregnant and the couple knew, because of complications she incurred while giving birth to their first child, they had very little time to get her to the hospital for a Caesarean section.

In what is described as an adrenaline-filled panic, Mr. Weber mashed the gas pedal of his Honda Civic, and began speeding towards the hospital on "lightly trafficked roads," the newspaper reported, at more than 105 MPH.

Unfortunately, the couple flew right by a police officer.

The couple's first reaction was that of relief, thinking the officer would hear their situation and offer them an escort to the hospital. Forget it.

"[The officer] said, 'If you go to [the hospital], I don't want to see you guys speeding,'" David told the Winnipeg Free Press. "I was half-crying... I said, 'We don't have time for a lecture.' (I was) trying to save my wife and baby's life."

After a 15-minute delay, the Weber's were back on the road, but with a baby-gift of a $1,000 speeding ticket, and time running out.

Mr. Weber knew the delay had made it even more imperative that they get to the hospital, so he again mashed the gas pedal. But 30 minutes later, incredibly, the couple was stopped by another police officer who had actually been alerted by the first that the Webers might be speeding again in the direction of the hospital.

The second officer also ignored the situation, started another lecture on speeding, and called an ambulance instead of allowing Mr. Weber to continue to the hospital, or escorting him there. Genevieve suffered through yet another 15 minute delay in pain and agony as they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

Fortunately, the Weber's baby was born healthy at the hospital, but it was a dangerously close call. According to the couple's doctor, Genevieve's uterus was very nearly ruptured.

Mr. Weber decided to fight the ticket with the support of the doctor that delivered the couple's baby. But in spite of the doctor's testimony that speeding was absolutely necessary to save Mrs. Weber and her baby, the police refused to drop the ticket. They did, however, reduce the fine to $400.

And take a suspended license too!

Last month, Mr. Weber attended a hearing about the speeding incident, and in early July received even more appalling news: His license would be suspended for five months.

Only upon the completion of a safe-driving course will Mr. Weber be able to legally drive again. Even after his 5-month suspension is up, he'll also likely incur a heavy financial burden from higher auto insurance premiums.

Police officials would not comment to the Free Press on the situation due to privacy concerns, but maintained that protocols designed for keeping the roads safe were followed in this instance.

David Weber still is holding on to hope that the authorities will grant him some slack due to the obviously special circumstances surrounding his traffic violation. David told the Free Press that he has taken his situation to the media in the hopes of garnering public support.

For the time being, David Weber is left wondering what might have happened had he been delayed even longer. Perhaps a Canadian solicitor will show interest in the case and charge the police with endangering the lives of Mrs. Weber and her baby?

But the larger question is why the police were such sticklers for official procedure in the face of a medical emergency. Certainly, there are many officers who would react differently in the face of the same circumstances.

Trusting Tuesday: Arizona Hospital

I think I will put a little more trust in this Arizona hospital system... They are definitely trying to make birth safer for women and babies.

Arizona hospitals taking stricter stance on scheduled births

Banner latest to ban on-demand deliveries

The Arizona Republic

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2011/06/29/20110629arizona-hospitals-full-term-birth-deliveries.html#ixzz1TurjtnfC

Arizona hospitals are taking a stricter stance on doctors and mothers who want to deliver babies before full term.

Banner Health is the latest to join a growing number of hospitals that are informing doctors and expectant mothers that they will no longer schedule deliveries before 39 weeks of pregnancy unless there is a medical reason to do so.

Hospitals are citing medical research that shows even the last few weeks of a full-term pregnancy are critical for a newborn's development. Babies who are born at 39 or 40 weeks are more likely to have improved brain, lung and eye development as well as lower risk of death compared with babies born earlier.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2011/06/29/20110629arizona-hospitals-full-term-birth-deliveries.html#ixzz1Turox3PA

The change marks a cultural shift for Phoenix-area obstetricians and expectant mothers who have grown accustomed to planning births due to schedules, convenience, family visits or other non-medical reasons.

More than one dozen Valley hospitals have taken a hard stance, no longer scheduling elective Caesarean sections or inducing labor before 39 weeks.

"We've sort of gotten into this habit (of scheduling deliveries)," said Dr. Ken Welch, an obstetrician and Banner Estrella's chief medical officer. "We have gotten very good at inducing labor. Just because we can do it doesn't mean we should do it."

Banner Health will stop scheduling elective C-sections or inducing births for pre-term babies beginning July 18. Banner's decision will impact 19 hospitals in Arizona and other states.

Other Valley hospitals, including Scottsdale Healthcare, Abrazo Health Care and Catholic Healthcare West, already have made the switch.

The new policies will likely affect a significant number of mothers-to-be in metro Phoenix.

Local experts estimate that such convenience births represent 20 to 30 percent of all deliveries at some Valley hospitals.

Banner Health said that 42 percent of babies born at its hospitals last year were delivered before 39 weeks. Those deliveries covered the spectrum of births, including medically necessary births and natural births that occurred before full term. It included elective C-sections or early inductions of labor, although hospital representatives said they did not have reliable data on the number of such early, elective births.

The rate of Caesarean births climbed steadily over the past decade. About one out of three births in the United States are delivered via C-section. In Arizona, 26.2 percent of all births were by C-section in 2007, up from 16.1 percent in 1996, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics.

Hospitals that already have targeted the early, elective births said that reaction has been mixed among doctors and patients. Some doctors have said they've successfully induced labor or performed C-sections before 39 weeks and saw no reason to change.

"There has been a transition," said Dr. BJ Johnson, chairman of the board of trustees for Arizona Perinatal Trust, which certifies Arizona hospitals with labor and delivery wards.

"Initially, there was some significant pushback from the doctors."

Johnson said doctors have become more receptive to the policy after they reviewed medical data and told their patients about the new hospital policies. It also has emboldened doctors pressured by patients who want to schedule a birth.

"They changed their culture and basically moved forward and informed patients this is policy now," Johnson said.

When doctors need to intervene early for medical reasons, they will still be free to do so.

Banner Health cited nearly two dozen medical reasons that would prompt an early delivery. Some common medical reasons could include high blood pressure, kidney disease, pre-eclampsia or placenta previa, a condition in which the placenta is too close to the cervix.

Organizations such as the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecology, Joint Commission and March of Dimes have advocated that the medical community adhere to the 39-week standard.

The March of Dimes, a non-profit that promotes baby health, has launched a public-awareness campaign that encourages hospitals, doctors and patients to follow the standards.

The group believes that if expectant mothers see the evidence for the benefits of full-term births, they'll be willing to wait a little longer rather than pressure their doctors for an early birth.

Of particular concern to the March of Dimes and physician organizations is the rise in the number of "late pre-term" births between 34 and 36 weeks. They believe the likely culprit is elective early births.

The March of Dimes' "2010 Premature Birth Report Card" gave Arizona a "D" and estimated that 12.9 percent of births in this state were premature, higher than the national target rate of 7.6 percent. Other factors contribute to premature births, such as a mother's health and habits; and availability of medical insurance can be a factor, too, paying for needed health care before and during a pregnancy.

One complicating factor is getting an accurate estimate on the fetus' age. If a mother-to-be does not get an ultrasound during the first trimester, it becomes more difficult to accurately gauge the fetus' age, said Dr. Michael Foley, Scottsdale Healthcare's chief medical officer.

"The size of the baby doesn't necessarily reflect the maturity," Foley said. "A baby may in fact be 40 weeks and only measure 36 weeks."

Still, those final weeks can be critical for a newborn's development. Full-term babies are less likely to have hearing, vision, feeding or birth-weight problems. Those final weeks of a pregnancy also give the lungs, eyes and brain enough time to fully develop.

Babies born early are more likely to spend time in a neonatal intensive-care unit, which can be expensive for the parents

In rare cases, those final weeks can be the difference between life and death. Babies born at 39 weeks or later were 50 percent less likely to die than babies who were born earlier, according to a study in the June 2011 issue of the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.

"The ones that are 37 weeks have twice the amount of problems of babies at 39 or 40 weeks," Welch said. "If I am looking at my child or grandchild, I want to have the best odds of them doing well."

Reach the reporter at ken.alltucker@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8285.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2011/06/29/20110629arizona-hospitals-full-term-birth-deliveries.html#ixzz1Tureluju

Mommy Monday: World Breastfeeding Week

http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/

Please go check out there site, like them on facebook, talk to an expert, etc.