Mamarama

Everyone had said, "Oh the second birth is always faster and easier..." and I was pretty sure I'd get this one done in at least half the time of Bebe's 14-hour labor. I never expected a mad dash through rush hour traffic at the Holland Tunnel and a mind-boggling ninety-minute labor, start to finish. 

That day, Wednesday, I had been to see my midwife in the office and was told I was almost 2 centimeters dilated. She did a little bit of cervical manipulation to hopefully get some contractions going and…

Warning: This article contains stories about difficult deliveries that some readers might find disturbing. All interviewees’ names have been changed to protect their privacy. 

When I was in college, I read a short story by John Cheever about a character who was on a business trip. His plane crash-landed in a field. Everyone survived, but it was described as a harrowing, terrifying experience. Because there were no casualties, the crash wasn’t even mentioned on the evening news. The character went home to…

It was a summer day, in late July—the final day of our annual camping trip with my ex and our kids.  The day was glorious—sunny with blue skies, and no one wanted to pack up the campsite or head back to city life. The entire day though, I was plagued by a mild feeling of dread that was somehow centered on our long car ride back home.  

Earlier that morning we took a bunch of girls to the nearby swimming hole at Bash Bish Park and I worried that we were packing too many girls into one dad's convertible VW…

What is private mediation? 

As a childbirth educator and postpartum doula I tend to see couples during the most celebratory and joyful time in their lives. It’s a bit of a departure for me to be speaking about the topic of divorce, but in some ways it makes perfect sense. My personal experience has given me insight and awareness. Plus, by definition, my job is to help people transition into a new life phase. While marriage and birth are experienced as positive milestones in our lives, divorce is an unhappy…

My friend Nolan Price and I drove over 3 hours out to western Pennsylvania, to a tiny town called (somewhat bizarrely) Jersey Shore. We were on a mission to meet and film Tierney Clark a young falconer with a very interesting back-story. I found Tierney on Instagram and was immediately mesmerized by her images and the grace with which she handled her bird of prey. This wasn’t exactly a newfound interest of mine. I had forever romanticized my original last name, Falconieri (before I went with the…

Q:  Our baby arrived ahead of schedule and we feel completely unprepared right now - what do we need?! 

First thing I’m going to say to that is, “Don’t Panic!” Whether you’re in New York or New Jersey, you can get everything you need in a heartbeat, and besides, that’s exactly what Amazon Prime is for. 

You need a car seat to get the baby home. Many hospitals will not let you leave unless they actually see the car seat. If you live walking distance from your hospital you still need something safe to…

Snooki and JWoww Get Schooled in Childbirth — by Mamarama — in Season Finale 

Childbirth Class

The season comes to a rather anti-climactic end as Snooki and JWoww decide to move out of their Jersey City firehouse digs. Nicole says she wants to concentrate more on her pregnancy and future with fiancé Jionni, and Jenni is more or less obliged to follow her lead. 

In this much-awaited season finale, Snooki decides it might be prudent to become educated about pregnancy and the birth process. She finds herself in a…

Photo courtesy: Sara Kalish Photography 

We understand that you are nervous about caring for and protecting your baby. Private cord blood banks also recognize this vulnerability and will market to you heavily during your pregnancy with promises of “biological insurance.” This puts expectant parents in a position of making sense of something that even many doctors have difficulty explaining. 

So, we’re going to make it easy to digest by giving you guidelines based on the American Academy of Pediatrics…

FULL BLOG with Photos, click here

http://www.chicpeajc.com/community/mamarama-why-do-we-need-a-doula/

by JAYNE FREEMAN 
JUN 04, 2016 

“If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it.” ~ John H. Kennell, MD 

Over the many years I’ve been teaching childbirth education, the topic of hiring a doula has come up in every class. By the time my students reach me for a childbirth class some have already hired a doula; while in other classes I often have to explain the definition and importance of using a…

For photos view here http://www.chicpeajc.com/community/pregnant-jersey-city/

Question #1 – Where to give birth? 

Working as a childbirth educator for the past seven years in New York and New Jersey, I hear a consistent concern arise from expectant parents who have moved to Jersey City: Should we give birth here or there? 

“Here or there” meaning of course, on this side of the Hudson River or over in Manhattan. 

It’s a legitimate concern and one that you may not have the ability to change, depending on…