"The Honeymoon is Over"

So apparently, the honeymoon is over according to AskDr.Sears.com. Ummm...wait, there was a honeymoon? Where? When? How the heck did we miss that? That's right, according to Dr. Sears, Julian should have been sleeping pretty well up till now and was probably a perfect little angel: "most babies sleep fairly well between one and four months of age, but now the honeymoon is over! Beginning around four months of age, baby may start waking up much more frequently at night. " Most nights, it isn't really possible for him to wake up more often. When he is awake it sometimes takes an hour of nursing, bouncing, rocking, shushing, and more nursing to get him back to sleep. Well, I guess we have to chalk it up to Julian not really fitting into the "most babies" category. Think square peg, round hole. A few weeks ago he actually fell asleep in the car seat for 2 hours, earning him the short-lived nickname "someone else's baby". We were so perplexed and excited that we just kept driving around. Luckily we live so close to Red Rocks and there is never a paucity of beautiful sights to see.

Julian is TEETHING!!! He has been for 3 months now. Call me a dreamer, call it wishful thinking, but I really think we're making some progress. The two little bottom teeth have been bulging for quite some time but his gums are really mushy and they seem to hurt most of the day and night. Please teeth, just come in already.

We are very close to giving Julian solids. We are going to be using a feeding philosophy called Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) but that's a subject for a different post ;). When in doubt, check Wikipedia. He has been reaching for and lunging at our food for over a month now. He also mimics "chewing" while watching us eat, sits very well unassisted, opens his mouth REALLY wide hoping some of our food will magically end up in there, and has a good pincer grasp. Since he has tummy issues, we are in no hurry to introduce solids, but since we are following his lead (hence, baby-led), it may happen sooner than we wanted it to. In the beginning, most babies usually end up playing with the food more than eating it and more food ends up on the floor than in their tummies. We are pretty excited about Julian being able to share mealtime with us, explore food, and make a HUGE mess!

Julian was 5 months old on January 18th. Where has the time gone??? Most people comment that he is "big for his age" and our neighbor even calls him "Bruiser". So - decide for yourself. Here are his 5 month specs:

Weight: 16lbs, 8oz
Length: 26.5in
Head Circumfrence: 18in

According to the infant growth calculator at justmommoies.com he is 50-75% for weight, 75-90% for length, and >97% for head circumference. At least he is consistent - especially his head. It has been huge since the beginning. It is so big that at first we were amazed that he could even hold it up for any length of time. Is head circumference directly proportional to intelligence? I digress....

Anyway - Julian is animated as ever and is a veritable chatterbox. He is repeating sounds and now loves to say da da da da da da da da ....ad infinitum, varying pitch and volume with mood. He is extremely expressive, at times yelling to signal that he is "all done". Speaking of signs, he has recognized "milk" for quite some time, and now responds to "all done" as well. We have been using the "potty" sign since the beginning but the jury is still out on that one....

What else...oh yeah. Julian puked in Brian's mouth while Brian was giving him an airplane. Bulls-eye, hole in one. Wish I could have seen it. I only witnessed the aftermath, but I guess that was funny enough. Ahhh, the joys of parenthood.


BTW, that first picture is just what it looks like (Julian catching Brian and I off guard and lunging at a funnel cake at 4 months - Xmas eve). He really went for it! Yes, I ate funnel cake. Yes it tasted good. Yes, it sat in my stomach like a brick. Yes I almost saw the funnel cake again in the middle of the night. No, I will not be eating anymore funnel cake. No, funnel cake was not Julian's first food...but it almost was. Below is a picture of Julian enjoying the scenery at Mt. Charleston.

Help Save Waterbirth International (WBI)!

Those of you who know us and have been reading our blog know that Julian was born in water. Bringing Julian into this world peacefully, without drugs or unnecessary medical intervention, having him born at home, and having him born into water were all tremendously important to us. We both feel very strongly about the importance of natural childbirth, of waterbirth, and of increasing awareness about natural childbirthing methods. That is why we feel compelled to pass this information along. It was written by Barbara Harper, Director of Waterbirth International. Pass it along and help if you can!

The Gentle Birth World Congress (GBWC) was an amazing gathering of midwives, nurses, doulas, childbirth educators, interested parents and doctors. ACOG even co-sponsored the event! Professionals and parents came from all around the world. Over 4000 visitors walked through our exhibit hall, viewed the Birth Art Photography displays, and attended free public lectures and the Mother/Baby Film Festival. We arranged for Ricki Lake herself to show the film, The Business of Being Born. It was a fabulous life-changing conference. Many miracles happened there. Some attendees have written about their experiences. An email I received just last week from Dr. Maria Elvisa Casals in the Philippines stated: "Many things shared in the Congress articulated what I already 'knew' was right for my patients but was contrary to my conventional training."


Waterbirth in the Media
There is much good news about all the accomplishments, media coverage and positive press that waterbirth in general has been having. At this moment we are on the eve of the theatrical release of Ricki Lake's film, The Business of Being Born, reviewed recently in the New York Times, and the completion of Debra Pascali Bonero's groundbreaking movie, Orgasmic Birth. Just last week, ABC's "Good Morning America" featured a segment on unassisted birth at home in water. So waterbirth is currently getting extensive exposure.

Code Blue: "We Have A Critical Situation Here"
This is all happening at the same time that Waterbirth International (WBI), our not-for-profit organization, is in a very critical situation. Unanticipated costs and challenges in producing the Gentle Birth World Congress have resulted in a debt of $200,000. We are now facing the prospect of closing our doors and, thus, ending our educational and charitable work in the world. Those who know me personally recognize that only dire circumstances could bring this about. I have already mortgaged my house and maxed out both the business and personal credit cards in an attempt to cover a small part of this debt.


Our Plea Circles the Globe
There are times in our lives when we stop and wonder: What does it all mean; why do things happen the way they do? Perhaps it is a good thing that Waterbirth International is in such a precarious financial position, because it is forcing us to reach out to the broader community.

A letter I wrote on January 8^th, asking for help, went to one person who posted it online, and it is now circulating on the Internet through grass-roots organizations, midwifery and doula groups. The show of support in response to this letter has been wonderful and generous. It made me feel down to the depths of my soul how appreciated and loved I am and how much everyone wants Waterbirth International to continue. I am so very grateful for this confirmation of our importance to the community. However, I can't do this alone. I don't want to do this alone. I am humbled to have been leading the way for waterbirth for the past 24 years.

It is obvious now that many people want to join with us and take on the responsibility of co-creating a way for WBI to survive and to prosper in the years to come, so we can witness waterbirth becoming an everyday event in the lives of birthing families.


How You Can Help
I am now entrusting the destiny of Waterbirth International to all of you. We need to raise at least $200,000 in immediate funding and also to create a plan for sustainability and growth. We have created a donation page on our website, and we welcome any level of financial support. Here are some ideas:

• Include us in your prayers
  


• Talk to people about waterbirth
  


• Buy a birth pool for yourself


• Buy a birth pool and donate it to your local midwife


• Send people to our website and link it on your website or blog


• Leap Year Special 'til 2/29 - buy one DVD and get one at ½ price (selected titles) - Donate your 2^nd copy to your local library or hospital


• Show Birth Into Being or Gentle Birth Choices locally, charge a small fee, and send us a contribution


• Hold a fundraiser and donate the proceeds
  


• Make a donation of any amount


• Become a Contributing member ($35)


• Become a Professional Member ($100)


• Become a "Life Time" Member ($1000)


• Ask grandparents to make a charitable contribution in their grandchild's name


• If you are a midwife make sure your clients know to register their babies on the "I Was Born in Water" list on the website


• Put up a donation jar in your office
  


• Guide us to people with financial means

We are creating a special page on the website where we will be listing all members and contributors. And volunteers have already come forward to create a quarterly online PDF newsletter, starting next month. The letters of support keep coming in. I know that no matter what happens, I'll continue to do the work that God called me to do and to make birth easier and more fulfilling for mothers, fathers and babies. I am trusting that the birth community will join with me to save Waterbirth International.

The mission statement of Waterbirth International is: We ensure that waterbirth is an available option for all women.

What part will you play in fulfilling this mission?

For our many supporters and for having had the opportunity to serve thousands of women and their families, I am deeply grateful. I will be holding the vision of working together with you for the next 20 years.

Sincerely,



Barbara Harper, Director Waterbirth International