mom bloggers are blogging for life

Guess what? Bloggers for Birth Kits is flying thanks to you! As of earlier today we've had nineteen blog posts helping to spread awareness, over 35 tweets getting the word out, and - most importantly - 190 birth kits donated! And that is only over a three-day period.

Wow.

There must be other women out there that agree that 1 in 7 women dying in childbirth is just. not. right.

Clean birth kits can be the difference between life and death for women in rural Papua New Guinea and other developing nations... and they cost $2.00 to make. Yes, I said $2.00.

Seriously, life is worth so much more than $2.00.

If you haven't yet jumped on board, it's not too late! Why not consider making or sponsoring a birth kit for a woman in a developing nation this Mothers Day? A $10 donation sponsors five kits!

Do it on behalf of your mom. Do it on behalf of your Granny. Do it for your daughters. Do it for yourself.

Blogging, giving, tweeting, facebooking... There are several ways you can get involved. They're all detailed here.

Here's a video explaining more, including how to actually put together a birth kit yourself. (Fast-forward to midway if you only want to hear the how-to segment.)



I really do believe that our collective voice can make a difference. Thank you for believing that with me!


Dear friends, have you exercised your voice yet? You are powerful and can help save lives. How about a creative and charitable Mothers Day gift for your mama? (Details here.) It's not too late to donate on her behalf (or on behalf of some other special lady in your life)... and it's not too late to blog for this great cause!

honoring moms with the gift of life,


P.S. Nearly a year after the Memos was born... I finally started a facebook fan page. Please "like" the Memos here... if you'd like! :)

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

give a mama LIFE this mothers day {my first vlog}

LADIES. You know it, I know it... it's Mothers Day is this weekend!!

This is only my second Mothers Day, I'm now pregnant with our second child, and I love my own mama so much... it's all got me thinking. Really thinking.

me (a few years ago) with my beautiful mama, grandma, and great-grandma

I love motherhood and would wish it upon any woman who desires it. I love hearing stories of healthy mamas and sweet, little healthy babies.

But we're not all that lucky.

In developing nations we still have huge issues with maternal and infant mortality. In fact, in rural Papua New Guinea 1 in 7 women die in childbirth.

I know, shocking. Right?

It's because of this that Bloggers for Birth Kits was born.

Why not consider making or sponsoring a birth kit for a woman in a developing nation this Mothers Day? (A $10 donation sponsors five kits!) Do it on behalf of your mom. Do it on behalf of Granny. Do it for your daughters. Do it for yourself.

There are several ways you can get involved. They're all detailed here.

If you want to hear me say hello, I've made my first vlog explaining things. Listen to the intro story if you'd like... or fast-forward to the middle to see step-by-step instructions for making your own birth kit. Please feel free to repost this video on your own blog or facebook (or send it through email) and help spread the word. I really do believe that our collective voice can make a difference!





Pssst, dear friends... things are getting really exciting around here! In 24 hours we've already had 8 other bloggers post about Bloggers for Birth Kits, 26 kits sponsored, and the tweets (#B4BirthKits) have started to roll in. Way to go bloggers!! Have you joined in yet? How about a creative and charitable Mothers Day gift for your mama?? (Details here.)


Update May 10, 2011: In six days we've had 637 kits donated/sponsored, 36 blog posts, lots and lots of links on facebook (I lost track at 200+), and tons of tweets. Well done ladies (and gentlemen)! You ARE making a difference by giving and by spreading the word about this important issue.

excited about giving life,


P.S. Nearly a year after the Memos was born... I finally started a facebook fan page. "Like" the Memos here... if you'd like! :)

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

bloggers for birth kits: help reduce maternal mortality

Every minute a women dies of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Ninety-nine percent of these deaths occur in developing nations.  For every woman who dies in childbirth, another 30 women incur injuries and infections, which are often preventable. (Source: World Health Organization.)

Chances are if you’re a mother reading this blog, you are not one of them. Most likely you delivered your baby safely and hygienically in a hospital, birth center, or possibly even at home under the expertise of an experienced midwife. (Unless you are Amy who delivered hers on the side of the road!)

No doubt you had access to doctors, nurses, midwives, and other medical professionals throughout your pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal care, as well as access to drugs and medication and surgical procedures when necessary.

But hundreds of thousands of mothers around the world aren’t as lucky as you.

The organization that my husband and I volunteer for (YWAM Medical Ships) regularly sends teams of volunteer doctors, dentists, optometrists, ophthalmologists, nurses, midwives, educators, and other volunteers to address the needs of the poor in Papua New Guinea. (This is where Ryan is now.) We provide dental services, eyeglasses, cataract surgeries, vaccines, primary health care, education, and other crucial services to those who most need it.

{my friend and coworker, jennifer perry, distributes birth kits to women in rural papua new guinea.}

We have campaigns going all over the world to gather toothbrushes, toothpaste, eyeglasses, and other medical supplies… but we are running desperately low on birthing kits.

This is where you come in.

Bloggers for Birth Kits is a simple initiative from the Mommyhood Memos to rally bloggers to reach out and help other moms in Papua New Guinea. These moms may live in a different nation to you, speak another language, look a little different, or have a very different lifestyle… but they are mothers with the same heart. Mothers who desire to deliver healthy, happy babies just as we do. (The idea was born out of this post: Four Healthy Mamas, Four Healthy Babies as well as the positive feedback I got from other bloggers in the comments, emails, and tweets that ensued.)

Because in rural Papua New Guinea... 1 in 7 women die in childbirth and that rate is simply unacceptable.


There are plenty of resources in the world to help these mothers and babies... they just need to be collected and redistributed.

So why not consider giving back from what you’ve received in order to help another mom deliver her own baby safely?

It’s so easy to make a difference. Here’s a few ways that you can get involved:

1. Make a birth kit of your own and send it to us. We will distribute it within the poorest regions of Papua New Guinea through the YWAM Medical Ship. (Instructions on assembly below.) Mail your kit to: 
    Bloggers for Birth Kits c/o Adriel Booker
    YWAM Ships
    PO Box 6221
    Townsville, QLD 4810
    Australia

2. Make a donation to YWAM Medical Ships designating Bloggers for Birth Kits in the comments section and we will assemble/distribute a kit on your behalf. $10 can provide five mums and babies with kits. All funds go directly toward supplies and distribution.

3. Blog about this initiative and rally others to join in the cause.

4. Display the Bloggers for Birth Kits badge on your blog. 

<a href="http://themommyhoodmemos.blogspot.com/2011/05/bloggers-for-birth-kits-help-reduce.html" target="_blank"><img alt="The Mommyhood Memos Bloggers for Birth Kits" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m223/adrielmc/bloggersforbirthkitslogo125.jpg" /></a>

5. Share this post with others. Tweet this post using the hashtag #B4BirthKits, link to this post on your facebook, or email this post to friends and family, church and social groups that you think might be interested in getting involved.

How to make a birth kit:


According to the Birthing Kit Foundation birth kits are very simple, containing six basic items:

• 1 plastic sheet (approximately 1m x 1m or 1 yard x 1 yard) – for a clean birthing surface; to prevent mother and child from coming into contact with the floor or ground
• 1 bar of soap – for clean hands; to prevent the birth attendant from transmitting germs to mother and baby; for cleaning the stump to prevent infection
• 1 pair of plastic gloves – for clean hands; to prevent the birth attendant from transmitting germs to mother and baby
• 1 sterile scalpel blade – for a clean cut of the umbilical cord
• 3 cords/pieces of strong string (24cm or 10 inches long) – for clean ties for the umbilical cord (with an extra string included just-in-case); to prevent bleeding from the umbilical cord from mother and baby
• 5 gauze squares – to wipe secretions from the baby’s eyes and mothers perineum

If you’d like to assemble one yourself, it’s simple. Just gather the above items, prepare a clean surface, wash your hands thoroughly, and assemble the items into a normal sized ziplock bag. The idea is that the kits are small enough to pack in large quantities (space is incredibly limited on our ship) and simple enough to not deter women who are accustomed to very little medical services and who often are illiterate.

Since I am not purchasing supplies in bulk, my kit cost me a total of $3.10 to make at home – still a very minimal price for the chance at life! 


This vlog is a demonstration of how to put a birthing kit together. (Listen to the story at the beginning, or fast-forward to the middle for step-by-step instructions for assembling a kit yourself.)

Dear friends, please let me know if you’d like to participate. Leave me a comment below (include any questions that you have) and make sure that I have your email address. Let’s get started immediately!

in support of moms everywhere,



Update May 10, 2011: In six days we've had 637 kits donated/sponsored, 37 blog posts, 200+ links on facebook (I lost track after that), and tons of tweets. Absolutely incredible. Well done ladies (and gentlemen)! You ARE making a difference by giving and by spreading the word. Thank you.


Note: Photos courtesy of YWAM Medical Ship's I Want to Live campaign in Papua New Guinea. 

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

who wants to hear from a hunky aussie bloke? (a "daddy chats" vlog)

{This is the final post of the Moms Who Work series.}




Have you met this man yet? The one with the cute Australian accent?

He is my husband... my hunk-o-spunk.


He is the man I adore more than any other man on earth. He looked like this (bright-eyed and suntanned) when we took our trip to Spain last year. (This photo still makes me drool.)


{It's no wonder we came home with an extra family member from that trip... our little souvenir named Levi.}


In wrapping up this series, I asked Ryan to comment on the subject of Moms Who Work. (I didn't ask Levi to comment... but he did anyway.)


This is what they had to say...




What a treasure he is... wouldn't you agree? (Oh, and Levi too.) And what a breath of fresh air to hear from a man with a well-balanced perspective on motherhood (in my opinion at least).


I hope you enjoyed this little video... my first ever vlog. (Well, Ryan's first-ever to be precise.)


We're going to be doing "Daddy Chats" vlogs every now and then on the Memos so that you can hear from a dad's perspective on different parenting topics. So this is the first of (hopefully) many times you'll get to check out my man, hear some good daddy wisdom, and swoon over his good looks and adorable Aussie accent.


Oh, and just so you know... Ryan got all gadgety with this video and added in the intro and closing, complete with the little blurbs of music. I told him to set the bar a little lower so I wouldn't have to measure up next time... but he insisted. He's gadgety like that. And creative. (Plus he'll take any excuse to "play" on his macbook that he can get.) So thanks for that babe. It looks awesome. 


Dear mommy-friends, this brings the Moms Who Work series to a close. What stood out to you most from this series? What is your "take home" message?


grateful to be a mom who works,

The Moms Who Work series:

• All moms work hard  
• How to be a stay-at-home mom without losing your marbles 
• Mom on a wire: finding balance and sanity in a home with two working parents
• You have spoken: the best and worst of being a working mom (away from home)
• How I became a pediatrician turned stay-at-home mom
• The pros and cons of being a work-from-home mom
• From home to work or work to home: speaking up about the transition process
• Back to work: tips for how to prepare for the transition after maternity leave
• Are stay-at-home moms 1950ish? (readers speak up about the best and worst of being a SAHM)
• 4 ways single moms are thriving 
• 8 tips for running a business as a work-from-home mom 
• Mom hat, student hat: important tips for studying moms 
• Hey honey, why don't you stay home with the baby while I go back to work? 
• What you wish others knew about being a mom
• Who wants to hear form a hunky Aussie bloke? (A "Daddy Chats" vlog)

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission