Wow I think this is a horrible idea for SO many reasons. Think of the irreparable damage that could be done to these children? These are real babies, real PEOPLE, being left in the care of random teenagers. Yikes. It’s one thing for reality shows like Wife Swap where adults are able to make the decision but to pawn off innocent children who don’t have a voice to object? Not cool. Write a letter. There are better ways to teach teens it’s hard to raise a baby.

http://www.mothering.com/sections/action_alerts/march2008.html#babyborrowers

Tell NBC to Stop The Baby BorrowersPresented as a “unique social experiment” the reality TV show “The Baby Borrowers” places real infants in the care of unrelated teen couples to “test” their ability to withstand the demands of parenthood and their relationship’s strength to survive the pressure.

The show originated as a BBC production. This fall, NBC is rolling out its own version for a US audience. It films couples between the ages of 16 and 19 attempting to care for infants, toddlers, children, and eventually teenagers. Local authorities, concerned about the physical and emotional risk to the children, called on the BBC to cancel the show. Their requests were ignored, and social workers hoping to oversee the filming were turned away. Despite the protests in the UK, NBC seems equally determined to roll out their production of the show, describing it as an opportunity for the couples to “…peer into the future and see what they (and their partners) might be like if they remain together and decide to build a family.”

The Natural Child Project is voicing its concerns to NBC and calling on producers to entertain people without jeopardizing anyone’s mental health and happiness. Read the Open Letter to NBC by Jan Hunt, Director of The Natural Child Project. Send your letter of concern to:

Mr. Jeffrey Zucker
President
NBC Entertainment
3000 W. Alameda Avenue
Burbank, CA 91523

I wish all people felt this kind of freedom

http://www.clumsycrooks.com/videos/best_buy_dancer.htm

Maybe we can start a movement? (No pun intended.) Call it the “Dance like no one is looking” movement. Whenever you can, just boogie down. Try it today it’s good for the soul. (I have to go to Best Buy anyhow my husband broke my computer chair…)

I am annoyed b the Always commercial that is advertising that it’s donating maxi pads to girls in South Africa so they can attend school. Now I love the concept, but I don’t like the action. Here’s why: for starters impoverished areas that would need this kind of support often have insane trash problems. Heaps of it everywhere. And that trash is often full of disposable diapers and maxi pads. Why contribute to a growing health hazard by putting more disposable menstrual products out there? My next problem is what are these girls going to do when the big fancy corporation decides it’s gotten enough of a tax write off and the funds stop? Why not give these young women options that will last and not harm their environment? Cloth pads, sea sponges, diva cups, or even free bleeding are all viable, renewable or reusable options that are green and will last beyond one little campaign.

Great idea Always, bad bad execution.

It’s fun really. I went to a holiday party for my husbands airplane club yesterday and of course endured a lot of “don’t scare the missus there might be a baby on the ground!” type comments. Well as some point a lady sat down and said “So, will you be in the hospital for Christmas?” to which I responded “God no! Why would I do a thing like that!” and watched her get a little flustered. And then went on to say we were having a homebirth as her eyes got really huge. At some point in the conversation she came around to think it was all pretty cool and even said she should send her pregnant niece to come talk to me which I thought was nice.

Then she asked my son how he likes school. And the circle begins again….

Hehehehehehehehe

I’ve read several pregnancy blogs lately of ladies getting induced in the very near future, for various reasons but all mostly circling around the “doctor wants the holiday off”.  What makes me sad isn’t so much that people are choosing this option but because every last one of the blogs I’ve read has this sentence within the first two or three lines- “Well we scheduled our induction for ‘x’ date, I don’t really want to but…”

Wait. You don’t want to? So then why did you do it? Let me guess, big baby, post dates, or “don’t you want your baby in time for the holidays”? These aren’t medical reasons to put yourself or your child at risk. You are a grown up. If you don’t want to- DON’T!! Simple as that. I’m so tired of hearing “I don’t want to but”. Sorry if this sounds rude or pissy of me but seriously, you’re about to be a mother. It’s time to put on your big girl panties and make important decisions for yourself and your child. Really.

Came across this today; this lady is using her etsy shop to help pay for her homebirth. Cool! She’s got yarn, a few crocheted goods, bibs, handmade cards and a few other goodies. Cute stuff, help her out.

earthybirthymama.etsy.com

I’ve been hearing more and more about this happening, and came across this article today. Scary times.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/10/forced-medication-could-your-child-be-next.aspx

Excerpt:

State mandated drugging of children as young as three years old is a disturbing yet growing trend. Here Gregory Hession, J.D., recounts one of his cases where he tried, in vain, to uphold a heartbroken mother’s wishes not to drug her six-year-old mildly autistic son, who had been taken into state custody after her refusal.

Without the presence of a single doctor, the court decided to put the child on five powerful anti-psychotic drugs, even though none of these drugs have been approved by the FDA for use in children.

Peter Breggin, M.D., author of Toxic Psychiatry and other books about the use of psychiatric drugs, maintains that no psychiatric drug treatment corrects or improves existing brain dysfunction (such as a biochemical imbalance.) This, he says, is a major misunderstanding about psychiatry that the profession tries to hide because it places these drugs outside the scope of proper treatment for mental disorders.

Reposting this as per the author’s request because I agree with it

http://someonelsehasit.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/boobs/

I was making a bagel and was glancing at the front of the phone book my husband had left near the toaster (If there’s a flat surface in my home stuff gets left there…).  I wasn’t really even looking more than half day dreaming but then something caught my eye- on the advertisement you typically see for the lawyers getting you big money for accidents, worker’s comp, wrongful death, etc, they’ve added a new one- birth injury. While I suppose I’m not shocked per se, I guess I am a bit disgusted and saddened that this has become so incredibly prevalent a problem that the dime a dozen ambulance chaser type lawyers have added it to their repertoire. I don’t really know what to think or say other than to hope that mothers and babies who are being hurt are left with the strength to combat our failing system. Part of me dislikes the ability to so easily sue for nearly anything because it’s part of what’s driven insurance rates up to the point where doctors can’t always practice evidence based medicine anymore, but at the same time, the ability to sue, and win, sets precedents against unnecessary procedures. I’ll put out there that I also hope that this turns the tides the right way eventually, toward evidence based care, and doesn’t make the problem worse with more and more restrictions.