In moon represents woman at her fullest: pregnant. After that, though, comes the blue moon, the postpartum period and the first phase of new motherhood. With this comes the new role of mother (or multiple times a mother) recovery, adjustment and an entirely new life. Babylune started out as a blog about this first phase of new motherhood, as an information resource for the recovery from childbirth.

And, it has become a lot more. While I still seek to fulfill my mission, this blog is just as much about the woman who writes it as it is about reproductive health. After all, motherhood is about more than just giving birth or sharing your life with children.

It’s about you. It’s about who you are, what you choose to do with your life and what you need. I think, those are all important things to write about and discuss. What about you?

moon image souce

Post from: Babylune

What makes a woman happier with her birth experience, healthier after the experience and her newborn healther? Relying on supportive, loving people during the birth and having skin-to-skin contact with the baby immediately after the birth.

Instead of relying on nurses and doctors to come in periodically during labor to see how things are progressing, “continuous support during labor should be the norm, rather than the exception,” say the authors of the study that appears in The Cochrane Library.

That means having someone other than medical staff to rely on.

Having a midwife, doula or an informed and supportive family member with them throughout labor makes women more likely to have shorter labors, makes them less likely to use pain medication during labor and makes them more likely to be satisfied with the childbirth experience than those who follow regular hospital routines of care.

The study also found that women whose babies are immediately placed on their mothers chests or abdomens after being born have fewer difficulties with early breastfeeding and bonding than those babies who are taken away by medical staff to be bathed and swaddled.  

Ellen Hodnett of the University of Toronto and her colleagues recently reviewed 16 studies of 13,391 women comparing supportive care from family members, midwives and doulas with the more routine medical models of care during labor in hospitals.  

Post from: Babylune

Recovering from a C-Section takes some extra care and almost 25% of babies are delivered by C-Section. That’s why my post with these tips is the fifth most-popular on this blog. Still, the post dropped in popularity. It was number 2 last month.

So many people are selling vitamins and supplements over the Internet that any post about Postpartum Women and Fish Oil will bring in readers.  It was fourth most popular post this month. For the record, when I post an image of any product, it’s not because I want you to buy it. It means that I need a rights-free image quickly to brighten up the page.

The weather must be warming up a little. Lost Libido? Normal Sex After Childbirth fell 2 places from last month to take the third place this month. 

While it’s nice to be considered right, I don’t need everyone to agree with me. This post came out of no where to take the number 2 spot this month.

I guess everyone is still sticking to their new year’s resolutions to be healthier because the Results of the Eating the Alphabet Challenge was number 1 this month.

Post from: Babylune

Here in Germany, the tradition of Christmas markets is my favourite part of the season. Little huts appear in town centres, each selling sweets, or roasted sausage, decorations, cookies, glüwein, or any other holiday goodie. As soon as it’s dark, people wander through the markets under the Christmas lights, clutching a steaming mug of Glüwein. This week’s blog carnivals are bit like a Christmas Market. There’s not just a chance to wander and look at what’s available in each little hut, but a sense of community growing up in the blogosphere. It’s nice and cosy, even though we’re all out in the cold.

Scribbit is hosting the Carnival of Family Life this week. There is the smell of ginger coming from a post about controlling morning sickness and Santa is waiting just around the corner.The Carnival of Pregnancy reminds me that waiting for a baby is much more difficult than waiting for Christmas is for little children.

Over at the Carnival of Writers, is the Christmas market bookstall. Everyone is talking about books to give, books to read and little cottages in the woods to get away from it all.

And last, but not least, Bah Humbug! wants us to think about what we’re doing when we celebrate.

Post from: Babylune

Really. It’s much better in the first year after giving birth.

Try it and see.

Post from: Babylune

According to the Today’s Parent article, 7 Reasons Why Motherhood is Healthy by Sharon Oosthoek, motherhood reduces the risk of several cancers and makes for better medical care. Below is a list of Oosthoek’s reasons. See the original article for her research statistics.

1. Decreased risk of breast cancer.

2. Decreased risk of ovarian cancer.

3. Decreased risk of endormetrial cancer.

4. Decreased symptoms of endometriosis

5. Increased rate of wound healing

6. Better screening for potential health problems

7. Less likely to smoke

I don’t know about you, but I just started feeling 7 times luckier to be a mother.

Post from: Babylune