Special Offers!

Ok, so I've got some special deals running right now. The economy being what it is, I thought I would try to offer what I could.

Check them out here!

Push Summit 2009 in Birmingham!

Push Summit 2009 in Birmingham!

The Big Push for Midwives, is holding “Push Summit 2009” in Birmingham from July 12-14. The nation’s best and brightest midwifery advocates will be convening to discuss state- and national-level strategies for licensure of Certified Professional Midwives.

The summit is expected to draw national media attention.

If you want to be more involved in our state’s licensing effort, this will be an informative event. You may register here.

Please note that they are offering a discounted rate for students who wish to attend.

2009/2010 Maternity Care Excellence Awards

HealthGrades recognized 145 hospitals with a 2009/2010 Maternity Care Excellence AwardTM. This places these hospitals among the top 10% of all hospitals nationwide for maternity care.

These best-performing hospitals consistently outperformed all other hospitals for maternal complication indicators as well as the weight-stratified neonatal mortality indicator (the number of newborns who died while in the hospital, examined by birth weight). Because of these vast quality differences, women should take care to research quality prior to choosing the hospital where they will deliver their baby.

Unfortunately, not a single hospital in Alabama received an award. In fact, the closest hospital that received the award is in Gainsville, FL, 240 miles away from Dothan. North Florida Regional Medical Center

AND... I am not incredibly happy with this study for its cesarean rates....

C-section rates average approximately 32% among the 19 states studied.

Obviously, a much lower c-section rate would be beneficial.

For a complete list of the hospitals, click here.

Labor Rooms Around The Country

The Brooklyn Hospital Center
Brooklyn, NY



Mount Nittany Medical Center
State College, PA



Medical Center of Lewisville
Lewisville, TX



Simi Valley Hospital
Simi Valley, CA



Cedar Park Regional Medical Center
Cedar Park, TX



Reston Hospital Center
Reston, VA

Babies R Us

So, the healthy mommy, healthy baby event was a bit of a bust, but I did have the opportunity to meet a few pregnant ladies, so it was well worth it!

I had quite a busy day afterward though. Some friends came over with their kids and we had a small birthday party for one of them. Such fun! The kids played all day and I had ZERO problems getting either one to bed.

I feel great... except that the house is a but messy now, but oh well... tomorrow is Sunday and I can take care of it then. Right now I have a Saturday evening alone to relax and unwind... at least until Cole wakes up... although, he didn't nap this afternoon, only around 10am.... hmmm, maybe he'll sleep for a while!

Frustration

It's really easy to come by lately...

Frustrated because I'm a mom... the kids don't always go to bed peacefully, they throw tantrums, they're whiny or hungry or sleepy or all of the above...

Frustrated because I'm a wife... to someone in law enforcement, and all that comes with it.. the long hours, the weird schedules, the fear and worry, the grumpy mornings from lack of sleep and because the kids are screaming...

Frustrated because I have a job and a business, despite already being a mother and wife.

Frustrated because it's often hard to find money to pay all the bills, not to mention all those random bills that show up when you least need them too.

Frustrated because life is just frustrating... because when you had no responsibility, "life" looked so exciting and easy. Welcome to the real world.

Despite all that frustration, I still love being a mother, a wife, a worker, a business owner, a doula, a birthy woman, an advocate.... I just wish there was a bit more money (hahaha)!!!!

The evenings happenings...

This evening was full of lively adventures! There was outside play, followed by homemade lasagna...



Yum! And of course, the aftermath of such a meal...



Such fun! And if you are Sophia, you are now driving around the garage...



And finally, after awaking from the lasagna coma, a lovely bath...



Night night!

Childbirth Intensive

A 3-hour intensive class on the ins and outs of labor and delivery! We'll talk about the process of labor, the risks and benefits of getting an epidural or going all natural and the real reasons for c-sections. And we'll be a peek at a birth shown in the film, The Business of Being Born.

Saturday, June 20, 2009 from 10:00am to 1:00pm

The class is for couples or moms-to-be, place to be announced.

For more information or to register, please contact Ashley by phone (334/726-9267) or email (apmotz@comcast.net).

Price: $40.00

Babies R Us - Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby

Come join me at Babies R Us in Dothan on Saturday, June 13th from 9:30am-11:30am. There is a Plan & Scan Baby Registry event happening, along with 3 other local businesses related to pregnancy or babies to get great information from!

See you there!

OB Consent

So, in being the huge birth junkie that I am, I am a member of several email groups. Today, while reading through some posts, I came across this little jewel...

A Different Kind of Consent Form

Did you know that OB's love to pull out those long and horribly written consent forms when you want to use your rights as a citizen to respectfully decline a treatment, even when that treatment might be worse than declining it in the first place?

It really gives you a lot to think about. While this may not apply to every woman, it often applies to far more than is acceptable.

Don't be a sheep! It is your body, and your baby... and your birth. Do your homework! Read some good books with real research in them. Here are a few...

Think about what your doctor says to you. Does it make sense? Is it logical? Ask questions. Remember, you hired them to be your birth attendant... you are not at their mercy.