What have I gotten myself into?

In December '11, I started my journey towards having RNY gastric bypass. Last week, I had my surgical consult, and first appointment with 1 of my 2 registered dietitians. In the next 2 months, I've got all kinds of tests to be cleared for surgery. I've also got to lose 10% of my body weight, which is about 35 pounds. Yes, you did that math right. I weigh almost 350 pounds.

Damned if you do. Damned if you don't.

International Breastfeeding symbol

  Breastfeeding. Bottle feeding. Seems simple enough. The reality is that more goes into infant feeding choices than most realize. What a lot of mothers experience that influences their choice is pressure.
In an informal (very informal) chat with some friends, pressure seems to be something many of us have experienced. It comes from all sources, too. NICU nurses, pediatricians, midwives/OBs, spouses, friends, family, and of course, the internet. And it can lead to health consequences, amongst other issues, if the mother feels pressure to breastfeed when formula is needed instead or if the doctors do not inform her that formula is an acceptable option. Opinions abound when it comes to feeding our babies.

Homebirth matters more than you'd think.

Back in April '11, I found myself in a position to have many of my notions of homebirth in the USA challenged. I want to share what I've learned because I don't think many people understand what goes on in this seemingly underground birth movement. Before last year, I assumed all midwives were CNMs (and if the initials after their name differed, I assumed it was a state-to-state difference but same education/qualifications), and that all homebirth moms were just plain selfish. The people I knew who had a homebirth loss, or even just the ones I'd read about online, well, I could not muster up any sympathy. From where I sat, they valued their "birth experience" over the safety of their child. As for the midwives who attended these infant deaths, I just didn't see how it could be their fault. After all, they were educated and trained nurses first before becoming midwives, right? Must've been something to do with the mother, perhaps not disclosing pertinent medical information.