I'm delighted to announce the launch of Global Motherhood, a new section within HuffPost Impact dedicated to the health and well being of mothers and babies around the world, and sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.
In 2010, Johnson & Johnson launched its text4baby app in an attempt to use technology to improve the lives of mothers and babies. It was the first free mobile health service in the U.S., providing timely health information via text messages to pregnant women and new moms throughout their baby's first year. As any mother knows, that first year is a time of great joy but also a time of anxiety, vulnerability and even fear. And when infant mortality is on the rise in the U.S. for the first time since the 1950s, and 3.3 million children under one-month-old died in 2009 worldwide, we need all the innovation and creativity that we can muster from communities, corporations, governments, and individuals all around the world.
Global Motherhood will go beyond matters of physical health to address the full spectrum of issues affecting mothers and their babies, with a special focus on the dangers faced by pregnant women in underdeveloped countries and the guilt and fear that accompany childbirth for many women.
It will also be a place to share our personal stories. I lost my first baby five months into my pregnancy, and as a result I spent my next pregnancy terrified that I would lose this baby, too. In fact, I was so afraid that, even though I was thirty-eight, I refused to have amniocentesis because it carried a tiny risk of miscarriage. Instead, I simply prayed that my baby would be healthy. And as my children grew, the dangers that threatened them -- and even those that I perceived as threatening them -- seemed to multiply. I'm also convinced that when they take the baby out, they put the guilt in, especially if you are a working mother juggling children and work. And of course, when we keep our feelings of vulnerability, guilt and insecurity to ourselves, they only grow in the dark.
In addition to providing a platform for women to share these feelings, Global Motherhood will connect readers with the most innovative practices and the most advanced thinking from around the world on all matters of importance to mothers and their babies -- and those who care for them. And we'll be keeping you updated on the organizations and events on the front lines, like the White Ribbon Alliance's WIE conference. For the last two years I've co-hosted this event, which brings mothers and caregivers from around the world together to discuss solutions to some of the greatest challenges we face -- especially important in a world where 1,000 pregnant women and girls die every day. Only by tapping into our collective wisdom will we arrive at the solutions we and our children deserve.
Our lineup of bloggers starts today with an exclusive weeklong series from Christy Turlington Burns, on motherhood in Haiti and around the world; Ricki Lake, on the business of motherhood; Dr. Harvey Karp, on differing views of motherhood around the world; and White Ribbon Alliance president Theresa Shaver, on recent achievements in the fight against infant mortality.
So check out HuffPost Global Motherhood to share your stories and join us in the search for solutions. And please use the comment section to let us know what you think.
Add your voice to the conversation on Twitter: twitter.com/ariannahuff
Check yourself before you wreck yourself, HuffPo:
fair.org/blog/2012/01/24/mothers-health-news-brought-to-you-by-carcinogenic-baby-shampoo/
Why should anyone trust a news outlet that sells itself out so quickly to this corporation in such a big, undeniable way?
"Numerous studies have documented that breastfeeding strengthens the immune system, protects the gastrointestinal system, and protects against food allergies. These health benefits continue for as long as the child is breastfed, and in many cases continue well into adulthood" (American Academy of Pediatrics 1997).
"Before 1900, most mothers breastfed their infants. Breastfeeding rates declined sharply worldwide after 1920, when evaporated cow's milk and infant formula became widely available. These were promoted as being more convenient for mothers and more nutritious than human milk. Breastfeeding rates began rising again in the late 1950s and early 1960s." - faqs.org
As a mom who needs to work, my children's daycare environments were not the best they could be. We know now that this time is so critical for children's development and certified teachers and better care would have made me a better employee, partner and citizen.
America's children in foster care and group homes are subjected to sub-par environments. The caretakers are not required to have more than a GED and there are not enough clinicians to follow up and provide care for our families in the system. What are we doing to prevent child abuse?
America's children in large, urban school districts are subject to lackadaisical teachers (not you 15% who buy shoes for their students but the others - you know they are there). Our urban children are subjected to all kinds of learning and developmental problems stemming from parents who are over-worked to parents who are abusing drugs or outright neglecting their children. We need so many resources for these children.
Can we put America's kids first! Use our military forces to provide humanitarian efforts in desperate places so our donation dollars can get to the starving children overseas who need them