MamalodeA blog for moms and their families
May 13th, 2010
The Living Well insert in today’s Missoulian is a must-read for pregnant women and new moms. The issue tackles infant massage, breastfeeding, infant illness prevention (”If babies could talk they would say ‘Wash your hands!’”), the days and weeks following neonatal intensive care, doulas, tackling that “baby bump” and more. Almost all the articles are written by local health professionals.
- MM
February 16th, 2010
I gave birth to my daughter, my one and only child (so far), when I was 25 years old. To be perfectly honest, I would have liked to have waited a few more years before having a baby. But life had other plans, and looking back now, I’m happy that everything happened exactly when it did.
I know women who had their first child when they were still children themselves – teenagers, really, who found themselves responsible for a whole other person’s life at the age of 16, 17, 18, 19 … And I also know women who won’t see 40 again who are just now showing off their “baby bumps” and nervously asking about pediatricians.
Clearly, there’s no one perfect age for pregnancy. Most women seem to figure out when the time is right for them. But you’d think there was some target age we’re all trying to hit by the way “society” tends to treat pregancy.
I’m up on this soapbox today thanks to the newest post on Motherlode called “A (Very) Young Mother.” Basically, it’s an entry from a woman who had her first baby at age 20 – and found this garnered her a lot of second looks.
In speaking with some of my older friends, it sounds like this happens on the other end of the age spectrum as well – often accompanied by well-intentioned but intrusive questions about whether their age might compromise their baby’s health somehow.
Anyway, I particularly liked this statement from the “Young Mother” writer, Meagan Francis: “No matter how stable or secure or settled your life may seem, having a baby will rock it. And that’s true whether you’re 25 or 45.”
- MM
January 29th, 2010
Lara Mattson Radle, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Missoula and the Montana Coordinator for Postpartum Support International, just sent me this notice about the upcoming 2010 Perinatal Mood Disorders Conference.
Presented by Perinatal Support of Montana, which was founded by Mattson Radle, the two-day conference is offered as a certification course for health-care professionals.
According to her Web site, “The mission of PS MT is to overcome the effects of Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) through early identification and treatment, thereby ensuring a healthy environment in which both mother and baby can thrive together. To these ends we have three goals: to provide personal support to women with PMAD and their families, to educate the public concerning the nature and management of these disorders, and to promote networking among related professionals. Our core services include a telephone support line, community referrals, support groups, and educational outreach to those in our community.”
The site goes on to note that “PMAD affects 10-20% of mothers during their postpartum year. At least one in 10 new mothers experiences various degrees of Postpartum Depression. Postpartum complications can occur within days of the delivery or appear gradually, sometimes up to a year later.”
I’ll be meeting with Mattson Radle next week to talk about postpartum issues and this conference. So check back for more information in a few days!
- MM
November 20th, 2009
The ACLU has taken up the case of a Ronan woman who says she was denied prescription medication while serving time in jail for traffic violations. The medicine was needed, she says, to keep the effects of drug withdrawal from interfering with her pregnancy and her overall health.
Watch the video and read the story. I’m waiting to hear what the Lake County Detention Facility has to say about its actions. I can’t imagine what justification it would offer for putting pregnant woman and her fetus at risk.
- MM
October 27th, 2009
- MM