I think about money a lot more now that I work outside the home. Time is money and I don’t think I am being paid properly for my time. Then again, I felt the same way when I earned three times as much.

Today, while on my coffee break at work, I saw a picture of a pen that cost 12,000 Pounds Sterling (not exactly as pictured, but a $250 pen and a $25,000 pen look alike to me). That is about $25,000 US.

Now, there are three ways to look at a picture of a $25,000-pen.

You can look at it and think, “I am so poor and inadequate. I can’t even afford a decent pen.” Which is pretty much what the marketing folks want you to think.

You can consider the image and conclude: “Rich people must be stupid, or that pen would not even exist.”

Or, you can start plotting for ways to get weathy celebrities to sign autographs with their own pens…so that you can ask to “borrow” it.

While plotting petty pen thievery, I realised that celebrities have their uses. Use them to bring traffic to my blog, I admire some of them for their efforts to promote social justice and, I appreciate that they are as capable of mistakes as the rest of us.

But, really, the whole celbrities as news thing has gotten out of hand. Especially since there are mothers everywhere who need attention. In fact, you could probably use a little attention yourself.

So, here is a challenge:

For the next week, every time you find yourself reading celebrity gossip online, in magazines, newspapers and on E! stop and do something for yourself instead. Any of my since you’re sitting there tips or anything you can think of will do. Just remind yourself that you, your energy, your life and health are important.

Much more important than any of those famous people with over-priced pens.

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But, to tell you the truth, I also do it to bring more traffic to the site. And, with any luck, the information those visitors get will eventually help a new mother who deserves some comfort.

My strategy, though, has been deeply flawed. Jolie, Spears, even the Gilmore Girls, are just not big enough blips on the pop culture radar. They really just don’t have enough fans. No, my friends at Play Library, have proven that to really bring people who read to your blog, you need a really big star. Someone like….

My lesson learned, I will now mention Elmo whenever possible, or TMX Elmo as he is now known. He’s not a mom. He’s not recovering from childbirth, but he laughs and laughs. And, what postpartum mother doesn’t need reminding that tummies are for tickling.

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Regular life and regular postings start again tomorrow, but in case you missed any of my special vacation features, here’s a round up under the cut.

Omnibus Station

Recovering from a C-Section Omnibus

The “Down There” Omnibus

The Fertility Omnibus

The Abs Omnibus

Random Recovery Moments

On sexual recovery by Marion McBride

On boredom prevention by Belly-Belly

On sleep by Ann Douglas

On expressing emotion by Penelope Leach

Mothering Blogs I Love

Life in Arabia

Life in Trinidad & Tobago

Life in Australia

Life in Thailand

As Long As You’re Sitting There

Sit on a Ball

Point your toes

Drink water

Just relax a little

I hope you’ve had a great summer. See you tomorrow.

Post from: Babylune

The most wonderful thing that will ever come out of your body is a baby. Milk is the second best thing. After that, it’s just the same old you know what.

And that, my friends, is as true for you as it is for celebrity mothers like Britney Spears and Angelina Jolie.

Now, forget about the paparazzi-hounded for a while and pay attention to me instead.

According to the search engine results, I am the only postpartum blogger who actually writes about the more embarassing side-effects (or is that end-effects?) of giving birth.

So, today’s vacation best-of omnibus features all my past posts about the glamourous stuff that happens “down there” after a woman gives birth.

First, the famous Quick & Dirty Advice for Those About to Pop contains the stuff you might as well memorise before you give birth to get through the first few days postpartum. Seriously, don’t forget to water down your first pee. Save yourself the pain.

After that, there is plenty of blood, piss and poop in A Long List of Discomforts that links to each of the more common conditions women find themselves in after giving birth.

For those of you who have really strained yourselves, read the Babylune Guide to Hemorroids because no one else will tell you how delicate your anus is.

Speaking of anuses, let me tell you why I wrote these posts about things that are so embarrassing to talk about. The postpartum body demands that its owner concern herself with blood, discharge, piss and excrement because if those organs aren’t working properly, you can’t mother properly.

Don’t be disgusted by what happens under the folds of your vulva, between the protective cheeks of your buttox. It may be hidden from view, but these physical systems are as deserving of care and good health as any other body part.

So, if something looks funny, smells funny, or stops working and you don’t know why, get yourself to a doctor or midwife and talk about it. There is nothing those folks haven’t heard before. Deal?

Post from: Babylune

If you’re in the middle of one of the many fantastic post partum mysteries of the human body, click on The Long List of Discomforts. Within the posts are links to posts that deal with common problems in the first days after giving birth.

You can also go to The First Six Weeks Category Archive to get an overview of what to expect in the first phase of new motherhood.
If you’re pregnant and need to know what to expect immediately after birth, read the post Quick & Dirty Advice for those About to Pop so you know exactly what to have on hand. The good news is that you can leave most of the stuff on other “to pack” lists at home. You don’t need a hairdryer in the post partum period.

When you’re ready to post your birth story online, I would love to read it. And, if you’re surrounded by well-meaning relatives who don’t quite know how to help you (i.e. they’re getting in the way), send me an email and I will send them my warmest congratulations and links to entries on How to Help and More Advice on How to Help a new mother.

If you have any questions or concerns about your recovery and can’t sit down long enough to do the research yourself, let me know and I’ll post the answers I find here.

Good luck, congratulations and take good care of both the baby and yourself.

Love,

Kate

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