Fashion Friday: Modest Middles

Modest Middles Nursing Tank Tops will be on my wish list when I am pregnant/nursing again.

Obviously after I get my "Addie" Laborlooks gown of course.

Check it out at http://www.modestmiddles.com

This is a functional fashion statement.

Thankful Thursday: La Leche League

Today I am thankful for La Leche League International. This is a true international organization that is there to help support breastfeeding women around the world.

Browse through their website. Find a local chapter, check out a chapter meeting. If you have, are planning on, or are currently breastfeeding they want to meet you. Not only can you join a local chapter, but you can participate in their online forum where you can have questions answered and talk with other women who are just like you. Trying to be the best mom for their baby.

These forums also include women who choose to not or can not breastfeed. The include information about feeding your baby solid foods and when/how to introduce them.

I could seriously spend all day on that website. It just amazes me how they are able to connect so many women in one place.

Wild Wednesday: Largest Baby Alert

SUPERSIZE DELIVERY! WOMAN GIVES BIRTH TO 19.2-POUND BABY

Friday, September 25, 2009

AP/Andi Anshari

A three-day-old baby boy weighing 19.2-pounds lies next to an average size newborn baby at a hospital in Kisaran, North Sumatra, on Thursday.

A three-day-old baby boy weighing 19.2-pounds lies next to an average size newborn baby at a hospital in Kisaran, North Sumatra, on Thursday.

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Indonesia's heaviest-ever newborn drew curious crowds Friday to a hospital where the boy named Akbar — or the Great in Arabic — came into the world at a record 19.2 pounds.

Akbar Risuddin was born to a diabetic mother in a 40-minute Cesarean delivery that was complicated because of his unusual weight and size, Dr. Binsar Sitanggang said.

"I'm very happy that my baby and his mother are in good health," father Muhammad Hasanuddin said Friday. "I hope I can afford to feed the baby enough, because he needs more milk than other babies."

PHOTOS: WORLD'S BIGGEST BABIES

Crowds pushed to get a peek of the extraordinary boy, who measured nearly 24 inches when he was born Monday, at the Abdul Manan hospital in the northern town of Kisaran on the island of Sumatra.

"This is fantastic," Dewi Miranti, a mother from a nearby village, said as she peered through a window with about a hundred other people. "He looks very well and is cute."

The baby's extreme weight was the result of excessive glucose from his mother during pregnancy, Dr. Sitanggang said.

The boy was the third child of Hasanuddin, 50, and mother Ani, 41, who like many Indonesians goes by a single name. His two "little" brothers weighed 11.6 pounds and 9.9 pounds at birth."He is greedy and has a strong appetite, nursing almost nonstop," the doctor said.

The former Indonesian record holder was a 14.7-pound baby boy born on the outskirts of the capital, Jakarta, in 2007.

Guinness World Records cites the heaviest baby as being born in the U.S. in 1879, weighing 23.75 pounds. However, it died 11 hours after birth. The book also cites 22.5-pound babiesborn in Italy in 1955 and in South Africa in 1982.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,554809,00.html#ixzz1BQELezuo

Trusting Tuesday: Choosing your Care Provider

How did you choose who to take care of you during your pregnancy?

~Was it the doctor who did you first pap smear? And every pap smear since?

~Your mother's doctor?

~The nurse practitioner at the office closest to your house?

~Or was the office recommended by a friend or neighbor?

~Did your insurance company tell you where you could go?

~Did you call the local hospital for a list of names?

~Look in the yellow pages?

~Google it?

~They delivered your sister's baby?

~They delivered you?

~They delivered your past baby?

~Did you care if your provider was a male or female?

~Was it a small group, single practitioner, or large practice?

There are thousands of questions that go into picking who you will spend these important months of your life with. Do you trust this person? Will you trust this person?

My recommendation, no matter how you picked who would take care of your during your pregnancy, would be to trust that person. Feel comfortable with them. Don't ever leave the office feeling like a question was unanswered. Don't leave feeling ignored, or like just another name on their list of pregnant moms. Don't leave feeling like you weren't listened to, as if you don't matter, or that you were stupid for asking questions.

You know what... I take it back... if you do leave the office feeling this way... then LEAVE. Find a new practitioner and never go back. Request your records and find someone you can trust, and who will trust you in return.

Mommy Monday

For our first "Mommy Monday" I want to talk about one of the things that I never knew about when I first became a mom.

Basically it boils down to this:

"You think pregnancy is hard? Postpartum is harder."

FYI- postpartum is the period after the baby is born.

Now this may not be true for everyone. I know a local Phoenix mom who suffers from Hyperemesis Gravidarum , (severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy) but for the majority of women, this is in some way, shape or form, is the truth.

When you go to your OB/GYN for your pregnancy there isn't a lot of talk about AFTER the baby is born. In fact, other than, CONGRATS see you in 6 weeks, the only postpartum topic that may be brought up is birth control. ACOG says your doctor should talk about postpartum depression. Well, this is covered when they ask at your initial visit if you "ever had postpartum depression with a previous child?" It is also covered in, "let us know if you experience any postpartum depression after the baby is born." In routine OBGYN visits there isn't a lot of time to prep you for what may really happen during the postpartum period.

I also feel like this is a topic that a lot of new moms don't talk about. They feel comfortable talking about the lack of sleep, but they don't mention any of the things that make them seem crazy. I am going to list just a couple for you.

1. After the baby is born, you may fight with your significant other more than you ever have in your life. Not because you don't love them, but because you are exhausted. You are more tired than you have ever been in your entire life and the one person you always depend on has no clue how to help or read your mind. Blame it on the hormones, the sleep, the breastfeeding, the crying, the soreness, the recovery, anything, and everything. It doesn't matter. Most people will fight during this time. Stupid things too... like why wasn't the trash taken out 2 hours ago instead of now? And why would someone grab the wipes before they grabbed diaper? As if it really matters... but after that baby comes this fight could last for an hour. Usually stopped when you, your partner, or the baby falls asleep. Hopefully you were so exhausted that you don't remember the fight when you wake up.

2. No one knows how to take care of your baby like you do. Just accept it. No one will ever do it good enough, but that doesn't mean your baby won't survive if they do it instead of you. The underlined point is what I am trying to make. Moms have this weird idea that if their baby is crying and someone else is holding him, the person holding the baby is doing something wrong. Your baby probably would be crying at that moment too if they were in your arms too.

3. Weigh yourself after 2 weeks, then have a celebration. Then don't weigh yourself ever again. Okay, maybe another time. The most rapid weight loss is at 2 weeks. The first few days after the baby is born you have retained fluid, breast engorgement, and if you step off that scale you might be disappointed. At 2 weeks your swelling should be gone and you will see your amazing weight loss. After 2 weeks though, the weight takes slower to go down. You won't continue to loose 20 lbs every 2 weeks.

4. Your hair falls out. It has something to do with the estrogen and progesterone shifts after having a baby- but I promise it will not all fall out. You will not go bald from having a baby. You might have a clogged shower drain, but you will not be bald.

The list goes on and on, so I will close with this ending thought. Post partum is hard but your sweet baby, some sleep, and a little bit of time will make it the best part of your life to date. I wouldn't trade this time in my life for anything else and I am sure you won't either. Learning every little thing about your new baby and smelling their sweet baby breath and kissing them all over is the best anyone could ask for. The cuddles, the snuggles, and that first smile make every ounce of post partum stress worth it.

It is so worth it... and just know you aren't the only one who is going through the emotions that you are going through. Been there, done that.

Special Guest Sunday

Eventually our Special Guest Sunday will have a featured blogger or someone related to the maternity/parenting/labor and delivery world... but since we are just starting out we are featuring our own Special Guest.

One of my favorite online store/ website is http://www.zoolikins.com/. Zoolikins is actually local to Phoenix, Arizona but I haven't made it out to the store yet.

This I do know. The store owner is very committed to helping families with natural parenting. In a stylish way of course! I have gotten some cloth diapers from them and they ship all of their products quickly.

I also love the fact that they offer classes. Cloth diapering classes and baby wearing classes. You may be thinking... "Wow, a little too hippie for me..." but is that such a bad thing? Taking care of the environment and saving our planet for these little ones to grow up in? I don't think so.

The baby wearing is actually very practical and cute as well. Who doesn't own a moby wrap yet? I can't think of many moms who don't swear by their moby wrap- moms who you would never associate with ANYTHING "hippie-ish". Wraps and carriers are life-savers. You get your baby to sleep, have your hands free, and get to snuggle with your little one all day long.

If you are interested in being a "special guest" for our special guest sunday feature please send us an email at info@laborlooks.com

Fashion Friday

Did you know Forever 21 makes maternity clothes?

Wow.

I didn't.

From my experience they don't make clothes that will last a lifetime. They are cute, chic, and CHEAP! This cute skirt is on sale for $10.99

I think this is perfect for maternity clothes. You don't need it to last for a lifetime... just a pregnancy!