Currently Reading...

What is new here... not much. It's cold and grey outside again. I was so happy that Spring was finally here; guess not. Crap weather really puts the kibosh on outdoor activities. I've been keeping busy inside with sewing projects, morning yoga sessions, reading. All good things.

Yesterday included the arrival of a package from Amazon. Woo hoo! My portion of the shipment included these two books.


Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childcare and Modern Maternity Care by Jennifer Block

Since viewing The Business of Being Born, I have taken great interest in the perspectives on birth and birthing in our society. The American view is so greatly skewed from the rest of the globe, and it leads me to ask, "Why do we 'do' birth this way? Why don't we see what works elsewhere?" If your answer is "Because what we're doing here works!" then you are grossly uninformed. From Block's blog, "4 in 10 women today are induced. 1 in 3 give birth by major surgery, the cesarean section. 1 in 3 vaginal birthers get an episiotomy — surgical scissors cutting your vagina. And most women will put their pelvic floors at risk by lying in a bed throughout labor and pushing the baby out while while flat on their back." That does not sound like a pleasant, nor medically necessary birth process to me. I could go on forever. I will spare you, although I do suggest seeing TBoBB and doing research of your own! I am looking forward to learning more about this topic from 'Pushed'. Husband is tired of hearing statistics. Sorry!



Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol

Love, love, love this book! Love her blog, too, Angry Chicken. I've already done one project [Happy Birthday, Alysia!] and will do many more. For the most part these are small scale projects (read, projects using scrap fabric and not buying any new ones. Yes!) Watch out for typos, though. I was lucky enough to find one right off the bat. Almost made Alysia's bag with a 13" wide strap, instead of 3" as it should be. Whoops. Photos of that to come later.