In my opinion, you can never be proactive enough about exploring women’s health issues and options, and this Saturday, the American College of Nurse-Midwives is sponsoring a free Women’s Health Expo at the Hynes. Geared towards women of all ages, the event will offer women a relaxed means to gain information and interact with women's health experts. In addition to midwife oriented content (e.g., for aspiring midwives, or those interested in learning about midwifery care), also available will be free health screenings, product and service resources, goodies, and giveaways. Attendees are also welcome to donate new or gently used baby blankets, which will be distributed to Boston area women's charities.

Before I officially become a week behind… I have been meaning to mention a feature in last Sunday’s Globe Magazine that struck ire in the heart of the pro-natural childbirth mama who sent me the reference. “The mother lode of pain,” written by Dr. Darshak Sanghavi of U. Mass Medical (July 23, 2006) is decidedly pro-epidural. Dr. Sanghavi notes that “pain [is]…an utterly, primitive thing, a vestige of insect and reptilian brains" and that "reliance on pain to create meaning during childbirth indicates a constricted imagination.” Ouch.

Please feel welcome to comment on your thoughts on, or experience with, natural or assisted childbirth.

Pregnancy obviously is a natural, necessary part of the circle of life, but things can get complicated and confusing when you have to think about pregnancy in the context of the workplace. Click here for an informative Q & A on pregnancy and employment, including topics such as interviewing when pregnant, breaking the news to your boss, maternity benefits, and discrimination.

While I love trundling around little boutiques on foot, sometimes one stop shopping is the way to go. Boston area mama Jeniphir Taylor-McIntire, a sales consultant for Natural Family Boutique, recently pointed me to her online store.

Natural Family Boutique offers eco-friendly products to support families from conception to weaning. The site offers Haba toys (my favorite toy line, period!) and apparel for babes, indulgent jewelry, spa, and home items for mamas, and lots of products for new parents (breastfeeding, baby care, and cloth diapering supplies, pregnancy, birth and postpartum products, books & CDs, slings). The site also offers resource material on breastfeeding, pregnancy and birth, nutrition, parenting, natural living, and activism.

Host a mama’s night out NFB party with Jenipher and get discounts and freebies along the way. Send Jenipher an email to find out more.

UPDATE 8/15/07: Sadly, Natural Family Boutique has closed its virtual doors. Please visit our category links to the left for more fabulous toy, gear, and pregnancy resources.

Tending to a newborn is incredibly hard work; imagine trying to fulfill your loving duties while suffering from postpartum depression.

While awareness about postpartum depression has gained traction in recent years, many moms still suffer without treatment; not surprisingly, kids suffer too, Carey Goldberg of The Boston Globe (July 5, 2006) reports in “Pediatricians urged to focus on moms, too.”

The upside is that recent pediatric research suggests that responses to two simple questions: "Have you lost interest and pleasure in doing things lately?" and "Have you been feeling down?" are useful predictors of postpartum depression. The timeliness of diagnosis is particularly important given other promising research indicating that if a mother’s depression resolves within three months of treatment, her child’s psychiatric symptoms also tend to dissipate.
These research findings suggest that pediatricians, who often have more contact with moms than a mom’s primary care physician, should be responsible for asking the diagnostic questions and offering referral resources. But as many mamas know, pediatricians are time-strapped as is, and there’s no telling if and when postpartum depression screening will be incorporated into typical pediatric practice.

Meanwhile, if you feel like you or someone you know may suffer from postpartum depression, seek support. PCP's provide referrals; the Mass. Commission of the Status of Women also has a website which includes resources for: free/affordable care, reproduction/parenting, mental health, and women’s health. FYI, Depression After Delivery, Inc. has since combined resources with Postpartum Support International. Click here for the PSI resource section for moms. I will dedicate a separate post to resources for dads.

Just because you’re pregnant or nursing doesn’t mean you have to forego drinks with cute little umbrellas in them. Check out Epicurious’ mama-friendly feature on liquorless libations. Epicurious offers several recipes under each of the following categories: lemon- & limeades, iced teas, tropical coolers, sparkling sips, and summer shakes.

So kick up those swollen dogs, and have your partner get on the blender.

As I was researching the issue of toddler hitting, I came across another interesting resource, “The discipline tool kit: Successful strategies for every age,” on BabyCenter. The article describes ground rules to set the stage for discipline success and follows with implementation tools and useful descriptions of process and application, from birth to 8 years old.

BabyCenter offers substantial topic resources for parents from pre-pregnancy on. Plug in your due date to receive pregnancy bulletins; do the same based on your child’s birth date for age-related development content. BabyCenter’s retail component offers a full range of products (with parent reviews) and an online registry.

As I was researching the issue of toddler hitting, I came across another interesting resource, “The discipline tool kit: Successful strategies for every age,” on BabyCenter. The article describes ground rules to set the stage for discipline success and follows with implementation tools and useful descriptions of process and application, from birth to 8 years old.

BabyCenter offers substantial topic resources for parents from pre-pregnancy on. Plug in your due date to receive pregnancy bulletins; do the same based on your child’s birth date for age-related development content. BabyCenter’s retail component offers a full range of products (with parent reviews) and an online registry.

Sometimes the best way to cope with the rigors of mamahood is to let out an emphatic “Ohm!” To locate a studio near you, check out Boston Yoga; this resource website is blissfully clean and easy to navigate. The studio directory extends to the Cape, Southern New Hampshire, and beyond.

Even better, Boston Yoga loves mamas! Check out their pre/post natal class recommendations.