Moms in the News: Pain-free Birthing Mom, Free Range Mom, Fed-Up Mom, Mothers Pay and Tough Cookies, Mom

Happy Mother's Day. To celebrate we've rounded up some news about, for, and from Mothers. Find out about a hot new birthing method that claims to be pain free. The woman who let her 9 year old ride the subway alone launches her book at the same time a book about Eton Patz, the boy famously abducted in NYC in the 70s comes out. Plus what happened to the Westchester mom who left her kids on the side of the road, what a moms would be in the workforce, and, lastly, a video where one toddler tells mom what he really thinks of her...

Free NYC Weekend Events for Kids May 9-10: Kite Flying, Oragami, Bluegrass and Jazz, Mother's Day Extravaganzas More

There are so many events going on to celebrate Mom that it could easily be renamed "Mother's Weekend." Of course, we've got all those events covered, plus plenty non-mom themed ones, too. And since the sun is supposedly going to rear its head this weekend, it might be the perfect opportunity to head out and celebrate by spending time with the family (or send someone else out and enjoy some me time). Some not-to-be-missed highlights: Oragami workshops, International Kite Flying Extravaganza, a little vaudeville and some sweet Bluegrass and Jazz.

Mother's Day Events for New York City Moms

What to do on Mother's Day is always a little tricky. If you are like me, you may be of two minds about what you really want to do for Mother's Day. On the one hand, perhaps unrealistically, you'd love to spend an idealized day with your family sharing a sense of togetherness with your children who are acting like little angels just to make you happy on your special day. On the other hand, perhaps secretly, what you'd really love is to spend a day alone doing the types of things you enjoy, but have been replaced with kid activities...art, culture, strolling in pretty gardens...

 

In this post I've gathered up some events that I hope will be a happy compromise; family activities that are a bit more mom-centric, but have room for kids to be real kids. And if the kids don't cooperate...maybe you can send them off with dad.

New On Mommy Poppins: New York City Pregnancy and Baby Guide

We have added a new section on Mommy Poppins, The New York City Pregnancy and Baby Guide. With 30 articles about pregnancy, giving birth, breastfeeding, baby gear, plus shopping, finding a mother's group, mommy and me classes and more, we hope this guide will help make navigating your pregnancy and time with new baby easier and more fun.

I have to give a huge thanks to my friend Bess Abrahams (Bess and I have been buddies since we met at the Jefferson Market Library literally as babies ourselves). An active member of the natural birth community in New York, yoga instructor and pregnant with her second child, Bess wrote many of the informative articles in the guide about giving birth and breastfeeding, taking nothing in return except the pleasure of sharing information with other mothers. Thanks, Bess! You're a great friend and mother.

New York City OBGYNs Supportive of Natural Childbirth or VBACs

Nobody really wants to have a cesarean section, but since C-sections make up about 30% of births in this country (possibly higher in New York City) every pregnant woman needs to know the facts about them in order to be informed and prepared. Often when you do end up having a cesarean birth the circumstances are not ideal for contemplation and fore-thought, so taking the time now to get informed, familiarize yourself with what will happen and know your options can really help you in the event that you are confronted with a c-section during your birth.

Choices: Giving birth with a midwife or an OBGYN?

Most people consider giving birth with an OBGYN to be the "safe" choice, but having your baby with a midwife has gone from a crunchy alternative decision to relatively mainstream now. This cultural shift has come from women wanting more control over their births and becoming more educated about their choices. While midwives are becoming a more popular birth choice among a growing number of women, there are still many misconceptions and fear about giving births with midwives. In this post, we give the basic facts about midwives and information about how to find a midwife in New York City.

News: Kindergarten Crisis Rally, No Idling Law, More Kid Business Closings, New Playgrounds, Dangers of Slings and Co-Sleepers

With the panic of Swine Flu receding, we can go back to our regularly scheduled anxieties, like whether the quality of life for families in New York City is going to suck as the economy declines. With overcrowded schools, family-friendly businesses closing left and right, and the costs of everything from metrocards to taxes going up while salaries and savings disappear, is the recent age of New York's family-friendliness going to disappear also? On the plus side, news about some new playgrounds, and a new law that will hopefully help reduce air pollution. And on the side-lines, furor over a Consumer Reports finding that some parents saw as an attack on attachment parenting.

Lactation Consultants and Resources for Breastfeeding Your Baby

You will hear from many sources how great it is to breast feed your baby and the amazing qualities of breast milk, etc. Beyond the old "breast is best" and all the talk about the qualities of breast milk and maternal bonding, breastfeeding has some other distinct advantages for a New York City parent: breast feeding is green and it will save you lots of money on formula, bottles and other paraphernalia, plus you end up schlepping a lot less, meaning less hassle wherever the city streets take you.

Most people know about the benefits of breastfeeding and plan on breast feeding their baby. Many people have no trouble getting started breastfeeding, but it can be difficult for some and it is easy to get discouraged in the emotional days after birth. Another time that can be a challenge to a mother's commitment to breast feeding is the transition back to work when the idea of pumping at work seems impractical or unappealing or you're just not sure how to swing it all.

While it's okay to stop whenever you want, sometimes just a little help at those important stages can bring the mother and baby through the difficult times and get them back on track for many more months of easy breastfeeding. If one phone call and an hour or two of help with a supportive lactation consultant can lead to many more days of happy and easy breastfeeding, that seems like a good investment.

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