WS 299: Body Politics and Motherhood

INCITE!

2011-03-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence is a website is a National activist organization of feminist of color coming together to create a collective to end violence against women of color. This website offers advocacy, ways to become involved and activism through their site. This collective gives an avenue for creating awareness about the many types of violence against women of color. The ability to inform is a powerful tool, and this website gives the tools to women to inform others about this on going threat to women everywhere. I have learned in this class that media is a powerful tool for activism! INCITE! talks about how to get they are able to reach women through the media channels they use. Great organization!

Mothers and More

2011-03-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

I like the idea about this website, its about how to connect and reconnect with other mothers on topics about motherhood, also how to deal with societies assumptions about motherhood. However, as I examined deaper into the website you can get some information about all they have to offer mothers but in order to get the full benefits of the website and connections you need to become a member and that entails a fee (or am I missing something?). This fee is large enough that it would prevent low income mothers from joining. This does not take into account that low income mothers will not have access to the full benefits of this website and what it has to offer. I am not for sure why it costs so much. What does the membership fee go towards? I think I am going to contact them and find out, I am curious!

Choice Moms

2011-03-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

Choice Moms had news posted on their web site about China Opening Up Adoption to Single-Parents and Talking Serious about Guardianship. Right off I could see that the site offered information about choices on how to become a mother whether by adoption or artificial insemination or what have you. Also, offering information if you are already a mother by posting articles about pertinent issues regarding being a mother. An Events calendar tab to see what is happening around the nation.
I think that reproductive health ties into being able to choose to get pregnant, or even choose to get pregnant by artificial insemination or even not becoming pregnant and chosing to become a mother through adoption!

Week 5 post: Best For Babes

2011-03-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

What a great resource! Best For Babes is designed as a resource for women who have babies. This website encourages whatever type of way is best for you to feed your baby. For many women if they do not succeed at breastfeeding they feel a huge sense of failure but realistically their is no reason for them to feel this way and this is what Best For Babes is here to tell and educate all women.

Best For Babes believes that "ALL moms deserve to make a truly informed decision and to be cheered on, coached and celebrated without pressure, judgement or guilt. ALL breastfeeding moms deserve to achieve their personal breastfeeding goals without being undermined."

Best For Babes has a mission and they believe that all women today that are moms are being told that they need to breastfeed but at the same time have no knowledge of how to do this correctly therefore they end up failing miserably. Best For Babes believes that it needs to be up to each individual mother to set up and achieve their own personal infant feeding goals.

This is an excellent resource for all mothers or mothers to be. I really like how Best For Babes promotes every women to do what is best for them and not follow what society thinks you should do.

Week 4 Post on Choice Moms

2011-03-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

The website Choice Moms was kind of overwhelming when I first was looking at it because there is just so many stories to read. I really liked how the tabs at the top of the page were organized into: thinking, trying, waiting, becoming, being. If you click on any of these options it will bring up a page that is full of resources, stories relevant to the option you chose and advice.

Choice Moms also hosts many networking events for all mothers or soon to be mothers that are single by choice. A new event this year is that they are launching an informal coffeehouse series. Choice Moms have really been all over the place for their networking events. Just in 2010 they went to: Austin, San Francisco, D.C., New York City, Minneapolis and London. They plan to go to many more new places this year.

Choice Moms is a wonderful organization. Every women that is part of it is supportive, caring and really wanting to help every single mom in the best way.

A Look Into MomsRising Blog

2011-03-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

The MomsRising blog is extremely interesting! In particular I looked at the post on Sex, Justice and the -isms. This post talked about how on March 29th the supreme court will hear arguments in the Wal-Mart vs. Dukes case.

The decision of this case could stop all economic progress women have made and it may only be one simple vote by supreme court justice Clarence Thomas that makes the decision.

Clarence Thomas is a man "whose public debut was defined by accusations of egregious sexual misconduct could decide the economic future of women across the country... can a man reportedly obsessed with porn who spoke of (sex) acts he had seen in pornographic films involving such matters as women having sex with animals.... or rape scenes." Can he really be the one to make this huge decision?

The real question that should be faced here is whether this country is going to allow Clarence Thomas to make this huge decision or whether he is to be removed from the supreme court because of his prejudice against a certain group of people?

I believe that he should be removed immediately, I have no respect for a man like this and his history is truly disgusting.

I encourage everyone to not only check out this blog but also this particular post.

http://www.mothersactingup.org/

2011-03-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

I decided to look at the website http://www.mothersactingup.org/ for my blog post. It is about "Mothers Acting Up was created by four friends who–while raising their children together–became increasingly disturbed by the choices their government was making, and how those choices were impacting the lives and future of every child on the planet." I think this is a wonderful website. Giving children a voice and to protect rights and freedoms. The Mother’s Acting Up movement was officially launched on Mother’s Day 2002, "reclaiming it as the day Julia Ward Howe originally envisioned in 1870: a day set aside for mothers to unite for the wellbeing of our global family." They now have people in all 50 state that work for the children and help shin their voices threw everything. They are tried of government making all the choices and I agree that people need to stand up for the children since no one every listens to children and they voice that they do have.

Sistersong.net

2011-03-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

I am reading about SisterSong and how the organization came about. First off this website is a collective movement to give a voice to women of color on the issue of reproductive rights and sexual health. (An issue that is in great peril in the United States, with the conservative agenda in our government plans to cut funding to Planned Parenthood who offers services to underserved populations and this puts all women at risk.) Sistersong works with all women of color, policy makers on reproductive rights and sexual health.
The dominate white culture has oppressed women of color for so long (too long) and now more and more grassroots movements are starting to get the word out, make policy changes and SisterSong is one of the collectives that offers so many resources, services and advocacy. One service they offer is Reproductive training for activists and organizations who want to the Reproductive rights framework in their work or campaigns.
A quote from the Sistersong website that I love
"We don't judge women--we leave that our opponents"
Become an activist for social justice and human rights...join in to make sure ALL women's voices are heard.

Mothers act

2011-03-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

I explored the site Mothers act in gup. Here I found an article about a movie coming out entitled Mother: Caring our way out of the population dilemma. This film seems pretty interesting. It explores aspects around population growth, which can directly effect a women and her choices of how many children she chooses to have. The main theme of the film is to educate not place a blame on anyone. It fallows an American mother who came from a family of 12 and has adopted one child. The movie suggest that overpopulation can lead to other dominance which through out history has meant a dominance of man over nature, child, and women. Instead of conquering it suggest we change our society and world into a more nurturing mindset. It explores the issue of hunger and how the Green Revolution has helped but once the two main ingredients run out, oil and water, so will life as we know it. It really puts a perspective on the human population and how we seem to be thriving now in the privileged life in the united states but can come to halt once water is in jeopardy. The unfortunate part is that it is only premiering in Boulder, there are no schedule dates in Oregon. The good news is that it comes out on DVD this summer so keep an eye out!

Immigration Equality

2011-03-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

I read about binational couples and how in the United States same sex couples may not seek citizenship for their life partner if their parner is from another country. Nineteen other countries allow their citizens to sponsor their same sex partners immigration benefits. American's claim that we are a progressive nation, COME on if we cannot allow equal rights to same sex couples because of the Defense of Marriage act then we are not yet as progressive as we claim. (I write yet, because there are collectives forming and change is about!) Have Americans realized that half of all heterosexual marriages fail in the United States?
Any way enough of my rant.

National Organization For Women

2011-03-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

I am vaguely familiar with this website due to the fact that one day I had stumbled upon it. This time I chose to read up on NOW'S media hall of shame. I like the feminist point of view of what I would say "Calling Out" advertisements that perpetuate misogyny and straight up sexist agenda. I also feel that this information is pertinent to my daily life, say for instance boycotting a specific company for their complete lack of reverence to women around the globe. The media hall of shame also takes new articles and posts them and critic it for racist, sexist and other ists and ism's!
NOW keeps a feminist up to speed on the latest news and information that is going on around the world because you can't make change with out being informed.

Moms Rising

2011-03-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

For my last blog for this class, I decided to check out Moms Rising. "The MomsRising blog is a soapbox where people across our nation can talk politics, policy, and parenting. The views expressed in these blogs aren't necessarily representative of MomsRising policy positions or active campaigns. " I think it is important to have these different views and to have a space to be able to discuss them freely. I gave a look at the health care for all kids, because as I was growing up in a single parent household we did not have health insurance. I only went to the doctor if there was blood or an arm missing, so to say the least I never went. It is refreshing to read that Obama has passed a bill into law in the early part of 2010. "This means that families can get what they need: affordable, reliable health coverage that won't disappear if they lose a job or get sick." This would have been very nice for my mother and I about ten or fifteen years ago, but I am happy to see that there are changes being made regarding health care situations. "MomsRising Special Mission: Make sure all kids in your community have access to health care." The health care reform has helped many families across the United States and will only continue doing great things. Thank you again for the opportuniy to blog and to have our voices heard during the course of this term. It has been an amazing journey and I am sad to see this class end here, but it is just the beginning to so much more.

MomsRising Blog

2011-03-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

For this week's blog assignment, I decided to check out www.momsrising.org, or more specifically, the blog associated with that site. Throughout the term, we were introduced to many sites revolving around Mommy blogging, but this blog is a bit different. All of the subjects in the blog are national issues, which is very informative. The blogs are written by normal people, trying to bring light to these issues, but some are even written by Senators, heads of organizations, etc.

One post I want to bring your attention to is entitled "Prescription Drugs in Pregnancy: Tell the FDA you need to know that fact," and is written by Senator Herb Kohl: http://www.momsrising.org/blog/perscription-drugs-in-pregnancy-tell-the-fda-you-need-to-know-the-facts/. I found this incredibly interesting because we talked about a broad range of issues with medicine/doctors and women, but prescription drugs never really came up. It is incredibly interesting as Senator Kohl brings up great facts about women being misinformed, or uninformed all together, about drugs being taken during pregnancy for illnesses. I also really love that fact that the Senator is taking on the issue and trying to get something done about it.

You should all check it out.

Cocoa Mamas

2011-03-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

I appluad these women for creating a blog for black women. To me it is sad, even on the internet, minoirities are under represented. However, after reading a few of their posts, it seems like a lot of the issues that were discussed, were similiar to the issues that other blog websites post. Each woman as a mother will experience it differently. But at the end of the day, it seems like a lot of the issues are the same. After seeing how these women started a blog, it has made me think about how mommy-blogging can be a powerful tool. In the class, I find that I am talking more to my girlfriends about the issues that women face as they enter the phase of being a mother. Right now my closest gals and I aren't quite to that point in our lives. But it would be fun to do a mommy-blog together when we have kids. It doesn't even have to mommy-blogging, we could create one now and make it more of a chance to have "girl-talk" over the Internet. It seems that women are really wanting to support one another and share their experiences with each other. Maybe once I graduate, I will have more time to blog. Blogging almost seems like a diary that other people read. A chance to hear the thoughts of others and then getting the chance to commit on it....

As I read the book My Hollywood seems as though the dialect is just one big blog, but inside the minds of Lola and Claire. There thoughts, feelings, opinions. The book is interesting as it goes into the thoughts of both women and the experiences they face and the different perspectives they have, even though their experiences are intertwined.

The feminist breeder

2011-03-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

I was very taken aback from this website. A few words that come to mind after reading the blog posts:

1. Wow
2. Bad ass
3. The author has a definite style of writing aka passionate
4. Wow

On the front page of the website, I thought the tab "Feminism" and the blog post that was posted there was incredibly insightful. I use the word insightful because some people are just. Wow, I don't know of the nice way of saying this... Well anyway, they are ignorant. It amazes me how people always go back to pro choice or pro life... I like that is the ultimate argument. Even if they are believe in all that feminism represents and all that Planned Parenthood offers, it comes down to that one subject. Like it is as simple as yes or no. Black or white. Abortion or life. Are people really going to stop a movement because of one of the hundreds of issues that women in society face. There will always be controversy over this subject, and there will never be one answer or one point of view. I personally think that we, as women, need to accept that there will be differences in opinions, but we are all batting for the same team. That team is to create and live in a world where women are equal and their work in society is equally valued.

By the way, the author very poetically wrote her first birthing experience. I thought the piece was insightful and I kind of felt her experience through her words. I also very moved by her choice to breast feed her child to 33 months. I personally don't think that I will choose to do that. But I think it is awesome that she had the choice and she was able to have that experience with her child. Who is society to say when it is OK for a woman to stop breastfeed? Just saying.

However, and I might upset some people when I say this, I think breastfeeding shouldn't happen in public. Don't get me wrong. I think it is a wonderful thing for a woman to experience, however I will say that if I am in a restaurant and a woman chooses to breastfeed her child at the table, it does make me feel uncomfortable. It isn't that a woman should be ashamed or not allowed to do it in public. But I will acknowledge that it makes me uneasy. I know that I shouldn't think this way if I think in a feminism mind set. I totally agree that women should have the option of choosing when and where they breastfeed. And as I woman I support the women that choose to. However maybe this makes me more conservative, I think it should not be publicly displayed.

MomsRising.org

2011-03-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

After exploring this website for a bit, I realized that this website isn't just for the mothers out there, but the website and group is fighting for women. Seeing as I don't have any children, it has been harder for me to "imagine" or "predict" how I will act, decide, be when I have the chance to mother. I think that it good to critically think about our future actions, but lets be realistic, when the day actually comes, situations and scenarios that we played out in our heads, might not actually happen. That being said, I was able to relate to this website because it had other issues pertaining to women.

For instance, the issue of the paid sick leave. Granted, I am not yet facing the dilemma that if my children get sick, what are my options for child care. I am facing and is completely real for me, is when I get sick, I have to take a pay cut in my pay check. I have been employed for the City of Corvallis for almost 10 years! Yes, I have been working at the pool since I was 15 years old. For that entire time, I have been considered as a "seasonal-part-time" employee. There are many weeks where I work 40 hours a week. But since I am not a permanent employee, I am not eligible for benefits, paid sick time or vacation time. If I am sick and I take a day off, I usually end up losing on average, 50 dollars a day that I am sick. Most illnesses last longer than just one day, so my pay cut can be in the hundreds.

In order to battle this, I have gone to work sick! I hate going to work sick. One I don't feel like I do my job properly and well and Two, I am absolutely miserable! I wish that I had the option of not going to work when I am sick, however, in order to pay rent, pay the bills and be able to afford food, sometimes I don't always have an option.

The other issue that I could really relate with was with the fair wages. Like I said earlier, I have been working for the City of Corvallis for nearly 10 years. In that time, I have worked my way up and my job now consists of more management. I am an assistant for my boss. I don't mind doing the work, but she gives me tasks to do and I get paid 1/3 of what she does, yet I am doing the work that she has to do. I understand that I am only an assistant, however when I am completely some of her job, I want to earn the amount that I am worth. I have created and published multiple flyers that have gone to thousands of children who attend the Corvallis schools, thus helping to bring in business. I know this must sound like I am complaining, but I am worth more than what I get paid! I guess that I should be lucky to even have a job. And I will now just count my blessings...

International Women's day!

2011-03-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

On the momsrising.org website there is a blog written about International Women's day, which is good, but women in America lag behind other countries around the world. You think today that women have made major strides in terms of politics, healthcare ( to an extent), and working conditions. In almost all of these categories women in America fall behind everyone else. In political leadership, women rank 73. You would think as a leading country in the world we would have more women in politics. As women we need to band together, more so than we already do, to fix these issues and provide women a better life.

WATCH

2011-03-10T21:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaxBR1AiFS4

this is really cool video
Hope you like

Walking a mile in our shoes

2011-03-10T10:10:00.001-08:00

OMG I love this. So much. (men literally walking a mile in our shoes)

Happy International Women's Day!

2011-03-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

The site I am sharing (in honor of Women's Day!):

www.internationalwomensday.com/

"International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women's Day is a national holiday."

"Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more."

"So make a difference, think globally and act locally !! Make everyday International Women's Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding."

Sister Wives

2011-03-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

I ran into this article about 3 wives married to one man and all the children they share. It is a show on TLC and a new season is starting where the man finds a soon to be 4th wife. I have never seen the show but thought that I would share this link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katy-hall/sister-wives-tlcs-polygam_b_736551.html

Economica

2011-03-07T00:44:00.000-08:00

Globalization has been one of the main topics for many of my Women studies classes. The spread of Globalization has it effects on women from different cultures, jobs, family etc. this impacts a women’s everyday life, especially now that more and more women are joining the work force and the economic situation has not gotten better. When I was exploring Economica, one of the themes that they had was family and fertility. Taking the “Motherhood” class I had to see what it was about. I had never really thought of globalization impacting mothers mainly because I am not a mother. When I started to read more about it does influence me, my future plans to have a family, five years or even ten years down the road. But mothers have been faced with hard decisions because of this new globalized economy. Reading through some of the articles the one that caught my attention the most was the one about China, How women have multiple abortions and have to choose not to have children because of the type of work they do and the strong law that prohibits women to have more than one child. China does not offer information on contraceptives or safe sex making it extremely hard for women to stay safe and this is all on globalization. Factories are looking for women to work all day seven days a week, china benefits from this, making it one of the leading producers but at the cost of women. I found this site extremely useful and enlightening.
Jannette

Time line

2011-03-06T16:40:00.002-08:00

Taking misconceptions of motherhood and body politics has opened my eyes to many issues involving motherhood and midwifery. Everything I see that involves mothers has me analyzing and asking questions. I think back to what we have learned in class and how the western ideal of pregnancy has made women more vulnerable and more likely to have an intervention during pregnancy. Reading the timeline has explained why things are they way they are now and how midwives in a way have been cast from society it seems to me that midwives have had it rough ever since they started in the Unites States. They have a lot of things against them. I didn’t know there was such a long history involving midwives; I didn’t get to read everything. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place or skimmed to fast but I did not see much information on immigration and how that impacted women from different cultures when being accustomed to their pregnancy traditions from their culture. It’s funny the way that some men feel so threatened and imposed their ideas on indecency to some of the American women, making childbearing a curse, when if done naturally without drugs it can be better for the woman. Some things have changed, there is an increase in midwifery again and there is advocacy for it and the spread of awareness about hospital and interventions.
Jannette

Black women’s health imperative

2011-03-06T16:40:00.001-08:00

The Black women’s health imperative has to be my favorite site so far. Equal health care for Black women and all women of color in general has been in the back burner for decades. Having a website that is dedicated to black women’s health and spiritual being is a great advancement in our society. They impact and have programs that help the community as well as try to change state policy. The resources and links that they offer are a great way to explore as well as learn about things we might not know about such as why black women are invisible in the health care system or why it’s important to have an association like this. I like the way the offer health tips as well as why women are susceptible to certain health problems because of their socio economic status or just by being a women of color in this society. There are so many women out there that do not know what they can do or what can be done because of certain obstacles presented for them, and by this Imperative there is a way to help and spread awareness to black women around the Unites States.

The Feminist Breeder

2011-03-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

I checked out the blog called The Feminist Breeder and I love it. The open blog was all about freaking out which in a weird way I enjoy. I feel like so much of the birthing experience is freaking out but I feel like I only hear one side. I hear the side that is freaking out about money, if the parent or parents are prepared, what to do when the labor starts, and the freaking out about being a good mother.
These things are all good to freak out about probably because they help the potential parent figure stuff out, but I feel as a women I am on the other side of things. All I think about when someone mentions birth is the fact that a baby, a small HUMAN is being pushed through the pelvis...this is terrifying to me. My stance on having my own kids is yes I want some but do I want to go through the whole growing a human inside of me and then pushing it out? This is the dilemma I have been asking myself for years. It was nice to see a pregnant women blogging about the exact emotions I would no doubt have if I was pregnant.
This blog was fun to explore and I feel like every pregnant women must feel these emotions at one point during their pregnancy but I want to hear them scream them out! I would like to think that I was scared into my moral beliefs that if I am not careful a baby could come out of you one day. I am not at all afraid to admit this is my favorite type of birth control. I just need to repeat to myself "don't want to be careful? Fine, just be prepared to push a baby out!" This one phrase may sound crude and I know there are joys in the mini beings, but the harsh truth is what seems to keep me grounded so thank you to all the Mommy Bloggers out there!

The Feminist Breeder: PP

2011-03-03T23:02:00.000-08:00

   In light of the recent House of Representatives passing the bill that revokes federal funding for Planned Parenthood, on the Feminist Breeder website a blog was posted about said bill, and the backlash she received upon posting on her Facebook. I especially loved this blog because I identify with what she is saying. I find it incredibly ridiculous that Congress is even thinking about passing this bill, let alone actually doing it.
   So, upon hearing about this bill I did the same thing as this woman; I posted that I support, and I stand with Planned Parenthood. I received mixed reactions from some of my Facebook friends. In terms of my friends on Facebook, the Pro-PP and Anti-PP amount is almost split evenly down the middle. So, this livened a small debate. I am so Pro-PP it's not even funny. I get so heated, and so fired up when I talk about said topic, and my friends just stop talking. What I get the most fired up about are the closed minded people who think the ONLY service provided by PP is abortion. Obviously they just jump to conclusions, and don't actually do research to learn the other services provided by PP. And they also don't actually learn the number of abortions PP performs; only about 3%. The other 97% of services help women in many other ways. I HATE when people think that PP is the only place to get an abortion, most hospitals do such a procedure. When this is brought up to them, they still argue that PP shouldn't receive federal funding.
   Along with bringing up this conversation on Facebook, I also talk about it with my friends. I have gotten into a few heated debates with many friends who are like the people described above. The end result is not entirely negative, I have changed a few of my friends minds after I explained all the services PP provides, and how it does far more good, than bad, actually they don't do anything bad. PP is just an amazing program that should keep its federal funding.
   This woman who wrote the blog said she received something similar to what I experienced. But, someday all the flack we receive from the little bit of activism we do every day will pay off. I have a tremendous amount of hope that will happen someday. I just hope I get to see it.
I STAND WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD.

2011-03-03T22:43:00.001-08:00

2011-03-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

I read the Feminist Breeder blog and I loved it! It is a great blog about feminist mothering and other topics. I read her new blog for March 1, 2011 about wanting more women to be proud of their accomplishments and come out and let people know about them. The feminist Breeder writes about when women accomplish something in life that is monumental they are not allowed to revel in it for long because society will take it away from them by minimizing the accomplishment. In our society it is not okay for a woman to boast because it is an unacceptable for a female to be prideful of what they have done. The Feminist Breeder is right, we all should feel a sense of pride of our accomplishments and share them with others.

I also read The Feminist Breeders personal story about weaning her son from breastfeeding. Way to go Feminist Breeder for listening to your intuition and going with what feels right for you and your own son. So many women ignore this intuition when raising their children, when all actuality the mother knows what is best for them and their child.

contemporaryfamilies

2011-03-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

I picked the website http://www.contemporaryfamilies.org/about-ccf/about-ccf.html because I was wondering why there is a council on contemporary families. The Council on Contemporary Families “is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing the press and public with the latest research and best-practice findings about American families. Our members include demographers, economists, family therapists, historians, political scientists, psychologists, social workers, sociologists, as well as other family social scientists and practitioners.” I am still trying to figure out exactly what this website is about. For some reason I have a bad vibe about it. Now on the other side I have a feelings its about letting the world know that in this time in day that there are different types of families and no matter what your family consists of that its okay and that its not abnormal. That might be what I think, I don’t know if I am right though.

TFB: Planned Parenthood Blog Post

2011-03-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

http://thefeministbreeder.com/category/my-feminism/

The Feminist Breeders post from February 19th was very interesting. It was an overview of some uproar she received after posting the Save Planned Parenthood petition on her Facebook page. She recounts how she was "un-friended' by a fan because of her stance on Planned Parenthood, because he could never be a fan of someone who stood with "murderers."

I found this very interesting because after I, and a few of my friends, posted the petition to Facebook, I also received the same flack for standing with Planned Parenthood. Most were misconceptions about this being about abortion and only abortion. It seems that people are blind to what this is really about. After I became irritated with other people's ignorance and with defending myself on something that I should have to, I ended up deleting people's comments. The Feminist Breeder, on the other hand, put the comments out there on her blog.

A lot of people do see the funding cuts to Planned Parenthood as an attack on abortion, which I suppose it is, but they aren't seeing the other resources people are loosing. She posts just a few on her blog: Breast cancer screening, Pap tests, Cervical cancer screening and prevention, Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections, Treatment for Yeast Infection, Female infertility screening and referral, Birth control, Prenatal Services and Education, Pregnancy prevention education, Anemia testing and the list continues. People seemed so preoccupied with abortion, that they didn't even consider the fact that these other services will be affected.

Overall, this is a great website. She has some great in site to feminism, and motherhood. Her posts are very informative and I love her sponsors! I am definitely a fan now! :)

Council on Contemporary Families

2011-03-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

After exploring the website Council on Contemporary Families I was really interested in it. I am taking a course this term called Contemporary Families in the U.S. and a lot of the information I have learned in this class is addressed by the Council on Contemporary Families.

One reason I especially liked this website was because for me I have dealt with many family issues that are considered contemporary family issues. I believe the biggest issue American families face today is divorce. I know that for me divorce has definitely affected me the most and really made me a stronger, more independent person. Although at the same time it has definitely caused a huge amount of stress, sadness, and sense of loneliness. These feelings will never go away because as the Council on Contemporary Families show in their research all of these feelings and emotions are completely normal for one to feel.

One of the press releases published on the website is called "I Do," I Do," and "I Do Again": The American Marriage- Go- Round and in this article it talks about how Americans have "come to simultaneously embrace two contradictory models of family life: a commitment to a shared life in a sanctified marriage and an individualistic emphasis on personal growth and development." These two models just don't and will not ever work well together. This is very much so the main reason why marriages do not work out. It is simply because two people have to unite and not worry about their own individual personal growth all the time and instead need to grow and development as a couple.

I plan to visit this website again because I felt as if the information was very valuable and I was really able to relate to many of the topics/issues the Council on Contemporary Families addresses.

FYI! :)

2011-03-02T09:31:00.000-08:00

FeministBreeder TheFeministBreeder

@doylehugmeyer I'm loving that blog!!! What a smart, thoughtful group of ladies!

Magnolia Joan

2011-03-02T01:25:00.000-08:00

Meet Maggie, the new addition to our family. Bundled up and headed home for the first time!

The Feminist Breeder

2011-03-02T00:28:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed The Feminist Breeder for numerous reasons. First, it is so nice to see a woman, who is a young mother and very successful, blogging about the experiences and accomplishments in her life. "I am passionate about natural birth, breastfeeding, and choices in healthcare. Without the right to complete bodily autonomy, we have not yet achieved an equal standing." She was a rocker chic gone professional and a real inspiration to a total of 9558 regular readers. Second, she reminds me so much like my older sister, Racheal. I was able to share in the joy of welcoming her second daughter into the world this weekend. Magnolia Joan, weighed 8lbs 10oz and was 21 inches long. Watching the birth was an amazing, life changing experience and one that I will never forget.
One of the blogs that I really liked also had a her own very cool youtube video attached to it, The Fetus Throws a Party. Her video was of the child she is pregnant with now, finally a girl (Jolene) after two boys (Jonas & Jules), who routinely kicks around in her stomach at about 11pm every night. This time she shoots a video of herself sitting on the couch, playing music, and watching Jolene have "a late night party" inside of her own belly. She describes that moment and how she and her husband felt to see this experience, "jaw-dropping and awesome to witness". I could not have agreed more with her. When my sister was pregnant, we would do the same thing, play music to the baby and watch her kick around inside of Racheal. It is awesome and purely amazing that she carried and grew a baby inside of her for nine months and I was able to witness her inside the womb at one moment and here on earth at the next moment.

Breeding Feminism

2011-03-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

I don't think there are enough words in the English language to describe just how badass The Feminist Breeder blog is. This chick is amazing, and her wit/writing style is just AWESOME.

A former rock-n'-roller-turned-lawyer who is an adamant support of breastfeeding, doulas and feminism, this early 30's mom of 2 (boys) with one more on the way is a literary rockstar!

This is the kind of blogging I participated in when I was pregnant too; documenting home life, sharing pregnancy stories, and helping out other moms/moms-to-be with real-life advice.

I'm honestly so stoked on this blog that between sentences I keep bouncing back and forth between tabs and looking more at her site.

Also, I LOVE her VBAC support and story. I remember being pregnant and hearing how our local hospitals (from my son's hometown) had banned VBACs because of the liability and that the doctors were advocating very strongly against even considering trying (to avoid lawsuits if any complications came up). I am pretty impressed that she was able to do so! My kudos to her!

My favorite blogpost has been the one about Diego the fish and how she potty trained her youngest son. Which is UBER helpful since my son is still doing pull-ups at night and I'm out of potty training motivators to get him dry at night.

Week 9!

2011-03-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

Hello! New websites for week 9 have been posted. I tried to keep in mind this week's theme and I hope you are able to make connections between the material we read in class, our discussions, and these awesome websites when you are crafting your blog post for the week. Thanks for your blogger dedication! :) And, Happy Women's History Month!

Museum of Motherhood, a Leap forward

2011-02-28T15:23:00.000-08:00

There are not many places that many mothers can gather to share their art, accomplishment, history etc. I would have to say that museum of motherhood is very unique in the way that they create a community for mothers around the world. Women have different talents and practices when it comes to mothering and having a space to share and acknowledge this is a great especially because it creates a bond between cultures and mothers. To me this site opens up different opportunities for women to become more “tolerant” or in other words, educated on things we sometimes know little about.
Exploring and reading about this great website, I loved the blog portion of it. Mothers of all ages gather and share their thoughts, hardships, struggles, observations and personal experiences. There is a large variety of blogs. I’m glad that the ‘Museum of Mother Hood” invest it’s time to making a conference. Women form support networks through sites like this but to have a place to go and showcase is great. So far what I have been learning that it’s really hard to see a mother as something other than a mother or hard to separate. Mothers are speaking out and It makes me really happy knowing that when I become a mother, I have opportunities such as these, to attend conferences that value me as a mother and an individual.
Jannette Diaz

Doulas supporting Teens

2011-02-27T23:40:00.000-08:00

This program is amazing! A doula is one of the best support systems any teen that is pregnant or has a child could ask for. My friend is actually a doula in Eugene and so therefore I hear about a lot of the things she does on a day to day basis to help teen mom's out.

I don't believe that Benton County currently has a service like this. Unfortunately, teen pregnancies are only seen as a negative thing in society today and with the help of an awesome doula it allows a brighter, less negative light to be shown.

They offer many services such as, pregnancy support, labor and birth support thorough the entire process and early parenting support. They also strive to host many social activities in the hope that the activities will create a positive and supportive environment for all the pregnant and/or parenting teens.

One of the most amazing services the Doulas Supporting Teens offers is home visits. DST begin the home visits prenatally and then continue them all the way throughout the first year. The doulas educate the expectant teen mom's and then throughout the first year are a great support system for the new, inexperienced mom.

I would love to see a DST program come to Benton County. I strongly believe that their should be a service like this in every county.

Doulas

2011-02-27T23:11:00.000-08:00

Doula... An interesting concept. It was awesome to see that there is support is a program set up for teen parents. Frankly, I had never even heard about a Doula. I could see how a person who has been trained and experienced many births could be be a valuable and comforting source. I guess my next question is how many insurance companies would cover a service like this? And do we (as in Benton County) offer a free program to teen parents.

It was... encouraging... not that word... ummm. awesome to see a group embrace teen pregnancy. I think that in society, teen pregnancy can be viewed as such a negative thing and it seems that those teens that are parents have to fight an up hill battle when it comes to those certain stereotypes. I could imagine, that it would comforting to have a Doula (I kind of associate this idea as a boxing coach that sits in your corner) that could offer advice, willing to listen and be supportive. I bet in a lot of teen pregnancy situations there aren't as much support and love from the family compared to the norm (middle class white married heterosexual couple).

Just to see what was available in this area, I googled Doula's in the Corvallis, OR area. It came to a website that offered the names of the people in the area. Looking at the pictures, one of the ladies was the mom of some of my childhood friends. I had no idea that she was a doula.

I also like how there are Doula's that specialize in Post-pardon depression. I think that again, Society puts so much pressure on the mother and when chemical imbalances occur, society makes the mother out to be "bad". That is a whole other issue. It is awesome to see all the available services. Up until this class, I would have no idea that their were other options other than the Hollywood version of childbirth. Where the the woman goes into the hospital screaming, the Man is frantically trying to check the woman in, the woman is screaming as she pushes, the doctor says 'one more big push', the man has a video camera, the woman is still hysterical, baby is born and when it is born it is clean as a whistle....

It doesn't have to be the way that Hollywood portrays it...

Some GREAT signs from the Walk for Choice!

2011-02-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

Mommy Dearest! Who's old enough for this one?! LOVE IT!!

Forget You (Femme Remix)!

2011-02-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

anyone heard this little ditty? Cee Lo Green - Forget You

Midwifery Today

2011-02-26T12:21:00.000-08:00

So this afternoon (as I lay around in bed trying not to cough all over my son who has decided that my bed makes a great campsite/trampoline/boat/EVERYTHING), I looked into Midwifery Today. Mostly because I have a soft-spot (no pun intended) for midwifes; I once looked into actually having a midwife when I was pregnant but my insurance wouldn't cover it and because we were dirt-poor we couldn't afford it on our own.

I have great respect for midwives and the practice. I think I am just really into the Old School approach, the natural Non-Medicalized aspect of childbirth.

So of course I was one of those people that wanted a home-birth. And a water-birth for that matter. Did I end up with any of these things? No. But a girl can dream, right?

Even after I had my son, I was so enchanted by the one nurse in particular that took a special liking to me during my stint in the hospital, that I felt the strong drive to want to give back (or maybe pay it forward?) and I looked into becoming a midwife/doula. Yeah the more I looked into it, the more I realized it's not something that was up my alley, and I sort of came down out of my "Help Birth a Baby Appreciation" haze.

Anyway, the Midwifery Today site hosts this really cool timeline (like Andrea mentions), and it completely blows me away how much we, as women, have just sort of accepted the medicalization of our bodies as such teh norm! Sad DAY! Once upon a time, not too long ago (alright fine, it was like 100-200 years ago), it was RARE for woman to give birth in hospitals. Strange but true! That timeline is awesome, if anyone has a couple extra minutes to spare they should check it out. Guaranteed to learn something new.

Also, Midwifery Today holds a lot of conferences in Eugene. AWESOME!

That Takes Ovaries! Performance and Open Mic

2011-02-25T20:21:00.000-08:00

I saw the event for "That Takes Ovaries! Performance and Open Mic" and accidentally read it as Take THAT, Ovaries! I got all interested, thinking it was like a Vagina Monologue sort of event for women who are disgruntled at their reproductive systems. LOLZ. oops.

Doula, Doula!

2011-02-25T17:07:00.000-08:00

So, I read on the Doula Supporting Teens website about Doula's. I think this website is amazing in general, but the premise about them helping out teens is absolutely amazing. I have been thinking lately how I want the birth of my child, (when it happens). Firstly, I want a child now, but I know that I cannot afford to do so at this point in time. On the other hand I think having resources for teens when they are going through the process of having a child, is truly amazing. I can imagine having a child in the teen years is hard, possibly the hardest thing, but I can't imagine having a child in the teen years without any support or resources.
Now, Doula's, from what I understand is something similar to a helpful support system/midwife. I think that is the coolest idea. The Doula's provide support in advice, and help in their pregnancy. That is when it all comes down to the wire.

Doulas Supporting Teens

2011-02-25T15:31:00.000-08:00

Teen pregnancy is a subject that is near and dear to my heart! I was a teen mother. When I was a teen mother in the early 90's there really wasn't any where for young teens to turn to when they discover that they are pregnant. There were no resources for me nor did I get adequate information on being pregnant. I did have an OB/GYN, however was shamed for being a young women pregnant without being married. What a wonderful resource for pregnant teens and also for new teen mothers! These young mothers need care during their pregnancies that deals with the whole person. I believe that Doulas offer a holistic approach to pregnancy and beyond. The wealth of knowledge and the opportunity to offer care that is more natural to our bodies and not medicalized is something women should have a right to access. Making this type of care accessible to a population that probably wouldn't otherwise have is social justice and feminism is all about. Doulas Supporting Teens check the website out!

Doulas Supporting Teens

2011-02-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

First off I am very sorry this is a day late. Yesterday was a mess and it complete went out my mind to do it. Anyway I went to the website http://doulassupportingteens.org/ to do this blog this week. “Doulas Supporting Teens is a non-profit organization that pairs doulas (trained labor support professionals) with pregnant and parenting teens in the Lane County area, as well as offering free childbirth education classes, in home postpartum visits, parenting groups, referrals to community resources, and social events.” I think this is so great that there is a support system out there to help. I think every teenage girl who is pregnant needs this support and help that they can get. Most teens have no way of having this information or help because of where they live or maybe their parents or even the state not allowing it. I know in Alaska they passed a law this past summer making all abortion of girls under the age of 16 had to get a parents signature and the parent had to be notified that she was having an abortion. Do you know how many girls would not tell there families they were getting an abortion because of the fact that they might get disowned, thrown out, or worse beaten from there parents. I personally believe this law should have never been pasted but that is my opinion.

Doulas supporting Teens!

2011-02-24T22:20:00.000-08:00

I have to say that I am quite impressed with this organization! With all that we have talked about in class, it is great that there is an organization that is there to support teen mothers through birthing.

As I explored the site, I just kept thinking about all of the conversations we have had in class about being an inexperienced mother, and not knowing where exactly to turn for help. Doulas Supporting Teens is just the place for this. Doulas Supporting Teens is a non-profit organization that pairs doulas with pregnant and parenting teens, offers free parenting classes, childbirth education classes, and educational support. It is addressing the need for comprehensive health care for women, that not only includes healthy birthing, but healthy prenatal choices.

Being a teen mom is also something that is looked down on in society, and I am glad that DST is addressing the need for acceptance as well. If you think about it, the fact that teen mothers are looked down upon accounts for mistreatment during health care while pregnant or giving birth. Health specialists consider them "children" and make decisions for them. Having a doula there to support you can help you gain the information and knowledge to have a healthy birth that you are completely involved in. That's amazing!

Change Birth Globally

2011-02-24T11:49:00.001-08:00

I explored the site dedicated to midwifery. I ran across an article in which that main idea was to change the way people view birth and midwifes. I am always surprised at just how little choices pregnant women actually get. I got a hold of a friend who just went through the birthing process a few months ago and asked her if she ever thought of using a midwife or if she would want to in the future. She said she wanted a midwife with her first birth but "things just kept happening and I went along with the flow." She talked about how she went to the doctor and found out she was pregnant and he scheduled appointments with his own practice and everything just went from there. My friend mentioned it casually to her doctor but he never acted in helping her find a midwife even though that is what she wanted. I feel like it is expected to just go the doctor route with no questions asked.

Another issue I find is circumcision. Before you leave the hospital they ask you to make an appointment to get your baby boy circumcised. They do not ask have you thought about your decision on circumcision they automatically assume it will be done because of the society we live in.

This website has many ways to make small voices heard. They suggest midwives do small acts such as having a bumper sticker or t-shirt. Other suggestions are to write an newspaper article, visit a local radio station, talk to schools or children groups, talk openly and non-biased about the practice, offer lower cost pregnancy tests, and generally inform the population. I am a big believer that knowledge is the most powerful tool, it can really help people learn about their options and find their voice to raise above the norm to do what they want to do.

Backline

2011-02-24T00:09:00.000-08:00

Backline is a wonderful resource for all women and a website for all to view. "Backline is dedicated to addressing the broad range of experiences and emotions surrounding pregnancy, parenting, adoption and abortion." It was a safe place for all women to share their stories on all four subject matters at hand. I loved the website, it was very informational and the stories were very inspirational.
The story that caught my eye was "Do You Have Any Children?" A Difficult Question to Answer by Melissa Busch. She was a teenage girl who was extremely in love with her high school sweetheart until month eight and he left her. At the beginning of the pregnancy, all she had thought of was the feeling of becoming a parent and now she didn't know if she wanted to be a parent at all. Melissa then went to Planned Parenthood and found out what her options were and that is when she discovered open adoption and found that was the best decision for everyone. Finding a proper family that would take care of her daughter and would mesh well Melissa was the hardest part. She ended up finding a wonderful family and one she even calls her family to this day. It has been a wonderful experience for her and one she does not regret. A few years later she ended up having an abortion, which she says was also a positive experience that she has not regretted. She always feels as though it is hard to answer the question, "Do you have any children?", because in fact she is a birth mother but she is not a parent. She also feels she can't be open about her experiences, because "I have felt shamed by the widespread silence around adoption in the same way that I have felt silenced by the social stigma and shame around abortion." So, in the end her piece she informs and educates her audience properly on the different types and practices of adoption.
I am so thankful for Melissa and her story. She is such a brave woman, who is making a difference in regards to womens' rights and their knowledge. I also appreciated how she brought visibility to Planned Parenthood, especially during this time. Backline is a great online resource and I encourage you all to visit the website.

P.S. I will not be in class on Friday... I'm so sorry to miss the class facilitation this week. :(
However, I will b in Washington watching my niece be born!! I will take lots of pictures!! I'm so excited and this will definitely be an experience I will never forget.

New Websites!

2011-02-23T12:34:00.000-08:00

Check it out ----->>>> New websites for week 8 have been posted!

See you in class on Friday!

-Andrea

Promised attention...tomorrow.

2011-02-23T01:36:00.000-08:00

Hi! Well, lets's see, it is past 1am and I just finished writing a paper for one of MY classes. :) Having to wear many hats in graduate school is why it can often be so stressful and busy. So, today I definitely wore my "student" hat and my "researcher" hat and wrote a few pages of my thesis as well as finishing a paper for class. Needless to say, I am exhausted and have not able to direct any attention to the blog yet this week. I will be posting updated Week 8 websites tomorrow! In the meantime, I am loving the PP pics--Batman, that's funny!! I love that we can use this site as a space for community outside of the classroom. Really lovin that. :)

Have a great night!
-Andrea

2011-02-22T22:48:00.000-08:00

Boys. Yes, Boys.

2011-02-22T22:18:00.000-08:00

I hope that one day I'll be the proud Mama of a precocious little boy! I don't know what it is about boys that I feel the need to want to be the mother of. I know I will be equally happy if I birth a girl but sadly....I REALLY want a boy. It's always been something that I've said since I was a little girl and knew I was going to be a "Mommy". I like to envision my child as a boy, sadly, that will never be meant to be.

Reading CocoaMamas blog, I loved the various inputs from various women. Reading through the most recent posts that the women wrote a couple stuck out to me. The first: The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree. What can I say about this blog post. First off the mother referred to her 4 year old son as a "pimp" because he got a few Valentines from his fellow female classmates. She was trying to say that she hopes her son turns out different from his Father who was a "liar & cheater". At what point does the "hoping" a child doesn't turn out like one parent correlates to the main role as his mother and the valuable input she has in his development and RESPECT of women. Personally, my father fit that bill of a "liar & cheater". At one point in my life I remember both my parents having external marriage affairs and to this day they are still together. I know personally that I'll never stoop to that level as they did for any reason. The confusion is what bothered me the most at a young age and whether or not I could trust my parents; I grew up fast.

I genuinely feel for the Blogger, Benee, about her worries that her son will resemble his father. I don't know if I agree with her 100% on that it's in her son's DNA to be like his father. All I can say is that I was raised with complete brutal honesty. I had to grow up fast and ultimately became very protective of my younger sister, who is 3 years younger than me. Strong relationships built on solid foundations are crucial...very very crucial. If I could offer any advice to Benee it would be to have patience with her son and to be a honest as possible to him, he'll understand if you only give him the chance to. I'm not a parent yet, but look forward to the day that I am. I know that I will operate by this principle when I do.

Batman!

2011-02-20T18:55:00.000-08:00

Planned Parenthood, Take Back the Day, Moms and More, and OMAMA!

2011-02-20T15:43:00.000-08:00

Sad day when things like this actually pass. I can't understand how they are justifying this.

"Did you hear? The House voted to bar Planned Parenthood from federal funding. They cut funding for HIV tests, cancer screenings, birth control, and more, putting millions of women and families at risk. We can't let it go unanswered. It's time for you and me to stand with Planned Parenthood. Sign the open letter to the reps who voted for this bill -- and to the senators who still have a chance to stop it. www.istandwithplannedparenthood.org"

So, I went and checked out "Take Back the Day", because I am a VERY strong advocate against corporations cashing in on any given reason. Valentine's day annoys me, Easter, Christmas... any holiday is an excuse for the Big Guns to exploit and make money off us. Mother's day exploitation is especially a pet peeve of mine. So, I really dig the idea behind "Take Back the Day", (although I am a little put off that they are ALSO asking for money, but nonetheless I think the general idea is a great one).
Mother's Day should be a simple day of paying homage to the ladies that love us, cared for us, mothered us, and help us become who we are today (whether or not it is a direct/blood mother). This should not be a time where we concern ourselves with "what am I going to buy to show my appreciation?". So kudos to the message this site is putting out there.

I'm trying really hard not to be critical of these sites and look at them more optimistically than my initial reactions, but sometimes the skeptic in me gets the better of my thought processes.

I also checked into Mothers&More. Great concept! Connecting moms to support and education! I think this is terrific, and (as a mom) is very helpful! Although I was a little put off by the statistics of the " “typical” Mothers & More member" page... um... wow... I just don't see a need for it. Makes me feel like a minority in the worst way and then I stop relating to the site and disconnect. But I guess it's still kind of cool to see what kind of people are becoming members of the site. Over all though, I think it's great to have this sort of central location for moms to go to and connect with people that support moms and give them recognition for doing the incredibly hard, thankless job we do daily as well as the jobs that we might also go to and get paid for. Being a mother is a very hard job and it's nice to have a site that is support and understanding.

Omama: CUTE layout! Wow, that just drew me right in! I think this has been one of my favorite sites so far, especially with "our kids are the future, and America's moms are literally shaping the future of our country, one child at a time." in their mission. LOVE IT! Also totally loving the discussions sections, something for EVERY one, and I get the urge to just jump right in and voice my opinion all over the place. I can feel the addiction to this website already setting in... I am actually kind of speechless by how awesome, fun, and interactive this site is.

Black Women's Health

2011-02-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

Health disparities are astounding among women of color. So I chose to read Black Women's health. I read HR3 high priority bill being proposed by congress. Women of color disproportionately lack access to family planning, preventative health care, and health care coverage. Now Congress has to put their wealthy dominate hands into family planning coverage by developing a bill that is dangerous to women's health. Taxing the already burdened families who have coverage that pays for abortions is absurd. This is a double whammy to women who are covered and now they have to pay twice to access safe legal abortions. HR3 will make it harder for black women to get health care coverage or afford to keep the coverage they already have. I did not know that 87% of private health care plans cover abortions. Why such a low number? So does this mean it may lower the number of insurance companies willing to cover abortions. Lets not take a step back....

Black Women's Health

2011-02-18T23:12:00.000-08:00

I chose the "H.R. 3: What Congress is doing to jeopardize Black women’s health?" article on Black Women's Health Imperative website. I really like this article because it breaks down exactly how the bill is taking away Black women's health choices. This bill is also being called the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act" and the "Smith Bill." The bill is misleading and unfair. Most women have abortion benefits already included in their insurance they pay, but very few know that abortion is actually covered. The blog actually said "87%" of insurance policies cover abortion. The bill will force women to pay to cover abortions, even though their insurance covers such procedure. That is ludicrous! Women should not have to pay out the Yin-Yang, or even be charged twice just for an abortion. The legislation that is involved in any way with reproductive health or rights of women, is keeps getting more and more out of hand.

For those interested in Speaking out!

2011-02-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

Visit Planned Parenthood's site and sign this letter in response to the current legislation to cut funding:

https://secure.ppaction.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=pp_ppol_ws_I_Stand_with_PP&s_src=standwithppfeb2011_taf

Also, please view this short clip that I referred to in class today.

Have a great weekend!!!

"Speier Reveals She Had An Abortion"

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;Have &amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Cocoa Mamas

2011-02-17T21:04:00.000-08:00

For week seven, I decided to check out CocoaMamas.com which looked like a very fun website and one that went perfectly with what we are reading this week in class, Chapter four mommy blogs. Cocoa Mamas is a group of five black and brown mothers who are bogging about their lives, posting pictures, and sharing advice. "This blog recognizes these inequities; something the rest of the mommy blogs are privileged to be able to ignore." The website is beautiful and unique just as cocoa mamas are! :)
I read "My Youngest Son is My Boyfriend..." by the cocoa mama Tanji. She had said that on Valentine's Day this year she had to work late and didn't get home until right when the kids were being put down for bed. She was saying goodnight to her youngest son when he asked her if she could please get down the brown bag on the dresser for him to see. At first she was apprehensive, because it was so late and she didn't want him to have Valentine's candy this late, but he insisted. Tanji pulled down the bag and handed it to her three year old son, who had hidden her Valentine's card and poem inside. He screamed out "Happy Valentine's Day Mom" and he began to read her the poem he had written for her. I could not believe how sweet a little three year old could be on a holiday he hardly knows anything about. This story was so sweet and melted my heart.
P.S. Thanks for letting me bring my Mom to class last week, it truly meant the world to her. Also, thank for the great chat on Monday... it was something I definitely needed! :)

Black Women

2011-02-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

For the blog this week I looked at the website http://www.blackwomenshealth.org/index.php which was a great site to look at. This website is about improving the “health and wellness of black women by providing health resources and information, community health and wellness education, promoting advocacy and health policies, and interpreting and issuing reports on relevant research about the health status of America's Black women.” What is great about them is that they as a “collective power of Black women by bringing together individual women and affiliated women's organizations together around a common health agenda.” They offer ask the expert, physician locator service, public education forums, education campaigns, public awareness surveys and polls, interactive assessment tools, e-newsletters and healthy living resources. I think it’s great that there is a place for a group of to come together. I hope that there are other resources for other minority groups that do the same thing as this website does. I kind of wish there was a resource in helping intergrading all the minority groups together to intergraded everyone together. That everyone is equal and everyone is fair.

Black Women's Health Imperative

2011-02-16T23:17:00.000-08:00

After exploring the website Black Women's Health Imperative I feel as if I am even more enlightened on the numerous issues in particular health issues that Black women deal with day to day.

The project that this organization is working on is called the Black Women's Health Imperative and focuses their efforts on finding actionable steps to eliminate the huge health disparities that exist for Black women today.

The organization is truly dedicated on promoting physical, mental and spiritual health and well-being for all of the African American women and girls in this nation. They succeed at this by joining partnerships with many health coalitions and organizations. This allows Black Women's Health Imperative to reach out to the community and brainstorm strategies and ideas that will not only affect individual people but will also affect local, regional and national communities throughout the nation.

I believe that this organization is extremely important because raising awareness about issues that are not known to the majority of people living in this nation or even world is a good form of activism. Once people hear about an issue then they are more likely to act on it or even just talk about it to their friends which is activism and spreads information on what needs attention now.

Week 7!

2011-02-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

Hey there!

Websites have been posted to the right --->

Also, reflecting on our need to be informed, I have posted a few links so we can keep up on our news and current events. Bookmark them! ;)

http://www.alternet.org/

http://motherjones.com/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

http://colorlines.com/

http://www.womensmediacenter.com/

Enjoy!
--Andrea

Mothers and More.

2011-02-11T08:42:00.000-08:00

The Mothers and More website is an amazing outlet for mothers. I love the idea of "mommy-blogging." This outlet allows mothers to talk about their daily struggles in the work force, and their domestic "work force." I am not a mother, but I can't imagine not being able to just tell someone on a daily basis how hard they are working, and the struggles of daily life, and the issues they are having, which I imagine is a very stressful issue. These mommy-blogs allow women to "connect with the world in a new way by recognizing how your daily life is affected by, and finding ways to handle, society’s assumptions about mothers and motherhood." It allows women to talk about their lives, even if no one is reading it, they have an outlet to just say what they want. It's the same idea as just talking with someone about it. This way they don't have to search for someone who will listen, or even understand. All mothers in some way will identify. The blogs allow women to take time out for themselves, and not have to worry about the home. The Mommy-Blogs may be the most intuitive idea for women in the 21st century!

Benefits of Mothers & More

2011-02-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

In an age when we all have Facebook or Twitter, or whatever social networking site you prefer, it makes sense that there would be one for moms. Mothers and More is a website that enables mothers to have "play dates" in order to reconnect with themselves and the world. The online environment allows them to connect with other mothers in a virtual space, but the connections made there, transfer to the outside world to organize for different issues.

This site/organization gives mothers a place to collaborate over the internet, or start chapters in their own communities, empowering other mothers. Personally, I think this is a great tool for mothers. Being a stay at home mom, your time will probably be filled with caring for your children, and finding time for yourself is difficult. Pair that with having a job outside of the home, and finding time to connect with other moms, or anyone in general, is even more impossible. By providing an outlet for organization online, it can make having "me" time a bit easier. The online forum is a great place for that, as discussing issues about motherhood is important for mothers.

While I think this is a great site, I do not think its a great substitution for a social life, which mothers should make time for. It's great in the way that it can be a force for organization and it will encourage feminist mothers to stay active, but activism should not be technology concentrated. Hopefully it will just entice mothers to pursue activism and social lives outside of the home.

Mothers and More

2011-02-10T13:49:00.001-08:00

I checked out the website entitled Mothers and More. Their mission statement includes that a women has more than one role in life, everything a women does whether paid or not has economic value, and mothers can choose when to work and where they leave their kids while away. I think these are important values and most of them seem to be unsaid. There is stigmas associated with a working mom and when they return to work it always seems "too soon."

According to the website two types of work are needed in our society, the economic work and the care giving work. They suggest that the care giving aspect of working is drastically underpaid and is often left to the women of society. A quote that stood out to me was "Mothers, and all citizens, deserve workplace practices and public policies that respect and reflect all the work that is central to the strength of our society." I feel like this directly relates to not only women in the workforce, but also single fathers or even guardians that may find issues within the workforce.

This website has an interesting link called "the plan" this informs how volunteers of this organization can help over come the problem. This mainly includes educating women and informing them of what is happening. I think by educating someone on a problem opens their eyes to the situation and will make the individual want to be active in problem solving. They also had recommended readings on the subject which I find very helpful. Readings help me see through a mom's eyes and feel what they feel because I am not a mother this insight is very useful.

Mombian

2011-02-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

I picked Mombian to do my blog post on today. Mombian is “a lifestyle site for lesbian moms and other LGBT parents, offering a mix of parenting, politics, diversions, and resources for all our varied roles.” I think it’s wonderful to have these resources for these mothers to have. It always seems that no one is there for these types of mothers and to have these websites to help support them is great. Mombian provides parenting tips, children’s activities, book reviews for parents and children, and political news and commentary, all from the perspective of a lesbian mom. I know that people don’t have people to feel sorry for them or a hand out but I do think this is great, to have a support system to help a group that is suppressed. I think we need to have more support systems to help mothers who need just a little more support. These mothers are going against groups who are so against them that I think anyone would need support to get threw that and to know what you are doing is good and not ‘evil’.

Mombian

2011-02-10T01:54:00.000-08:00

First off, I just want to point out what a cool term Mombian is. "Mombian is a lifestyle site for lesbian moms and other LGBT parents, offering a mix of parenting, politics, diversions, and resources for all our varied roles." I had never heard that before viewing this website. I thought it was such a great website to go to for people in the LGBT community and for their allies. It gives them a resource that provides parenting advice, the different diversions, and the politics, along with a children's books and fun children's activities. My favorite section of the website was under "Mombian Shop". There they provided hundreds of books for sale that have lesbian or gay coupled families that have children. I think this is a wonderful way to get your children exposed to the different kinds of families in the world, not the typical social normative family, at a young age and puts this information into a fun book for children to understand.
The article I looked at for this week was on the organization, Family Pride. It supports LGBT parents and their children in receiving equal rights for all. "We believe that families are not truly defined by blood relationship, but instead by love and commitment." They are the oldest organization out there, that believes all families deserve the same privileges and rights when it comes to their own family and protecting their children. I love the idea of Family Pride and how it has helped LGBT families nationally and state-wide.

Lesbians, Motherhood and Family

2011-02-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

This video is what Mombian.com is all about. I loved Kimmy's insight on Motherhood, Lesbianism, "traditional family values".

Mothers & More

2011-02-07T23:28:00.000-08:00

I looked at the Mothers & More website and was immediately hooked after reading the words "Moms Need Play Groups Too!" I love that this website puts a focus on the fact that a women is not just a mother once she has children. They support women of all ages as they face the challenges of motherhood.

Mothers & More emphasizes that the unpaid work all mothers do for their families is real and very time consuming work. I couldn't agree more with this. Many people don't realize that every mother is a working mother whether she has a "real" job or not.

After reading through the beliefs of Mothers & More I really liked one of their beliefs in particular. Here it is: "All the work mothers do- whether paid or unpaid- has social and economic value." This is a serious issue that is not understood by many people.

Mothers & More have taken many actions such as they conduct a campaign every mother's day to raise awareness about issues that affect all mothers today. Mothers & More also focus much of their work on community outreach.

I highly recommend everyone to check out this website and become a member of Mothers & More!

The New "Sense" of Family

2011-02-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

I loved the different insight that was presented at the Mombian.com. What a great resource lesbian mothers can have to refer to in times of question & public policy changes. I'm not going to zip off my opinions or biases towards same-sex marriage as I feel I take a strong feminist perspective on the subject.

What I do want to highlight was the video that Zach Wahls, a native Iowan, speaking so eloquently on behalf of the legislation for the bill to ban same-sex marriage. His opposition for the bill directly stems from being raised by two women. Over all the points that he highlighted to the council was that the sex of his parents in no way relates to his character. If that didn't hit home, I don't know what else he could say so directly to attract the core of the bill. People make horrific assumptions based on sex and sexuality. Only to hinder and resist any other forms misleading from the norm. This disgusts me that the local and Federal Government have demeaning voice of resistance.

I agree with Zach that a 'sense of family is the love that binds us together. His statement was so impactful when he said that they were "voting on change, on how the law view and treats us." And that for Iowa, voting on a history co-defy discrim in to constitution; the least amended constitution in the U.S.

We are the voice of change. We can't exercise this change if we don't have more people like Zach Wahls bearing his soul for what is right.

best for babes

2011-02-07T02:33:00.000-08:00

Growing up in a Mexican culture, I constantly heard my “moms” talk about breast feeding. How all moms needed to breast feed and they criticized the ones that didn’t or how some breast fed until the child was 5! They build their own support system, because most of the mothers worked in the fields and all of them had children around the same time, one or two mother stayed home and breast fed the children. It’s nice having a website like best for babes for women that know of resources and forming their own community. I liked their overall mission of informing pregnant mothers about breastfeeding and making a choice that is right for them and the baby. As I was looking around the website, I wanted to know what kind of allies they had, and it was all corporate sponsors. To me that means that’s it’s all about the money, having corporate sponsors gives them the ability and the money to spread the word but because they give that money they have a lot of power in what information is presented. I was expecting allies as in different websites and people, not corporate. Pregnant mothers face many barriers when it comes to how they want to experience pregnancy, during and after. Every pregnancy is different and hard when it comes to making decisions like this. Having best for babes and a link to answer breastfeeding questions is a great leap forward into knowing our bodies and making choices. When I look at these websites I always tend to look for the woman of color perspective and yet again I did not find it in this website.
Jannette Diaz

Hello Week 6!

2011-02-07T01:34:00.000-08:00

New websites for the week are posted to the right! Keep the good blogging coming! :)

--Andrea

Hannah, Me, and Kiera

Mother's Day Her-Story

2011-02-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

fascinating article!! i love to read articles like these. although short, this article was very interesting and made me very appreciative of the efforts that Julia Ward Howe has put forth. i can see a lot of her ideas in the was that many mothers think these days. especially mothers of war victims. i think that this article highlights some very important issues i.e. militarism/women's involvement in the war/ mothers coming together for peace.. these are all very important issues to touch on. i can see the intersectionalities between these and i realize how powerful they are. something that really made me appreciative of the efforts Julia Ward Howe did in her community was the fact that she inspired her daughter to take over her work when she passed. stories like these are very interesting and need to be shared.
women have the power of unity and when many women come together for a great cause there is a lot of work for equality that gets done

Mother's Day Her-Story

2011-02-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

   Mother's Day is a big deal to any mother, naturally. The history behind Mother's Day is something new to me. The original woman to start Mother's Day was a woman by the name of Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis. Her idea about Mother's Day was rooted in activism; she was working toward women centered community clubs to improve conditions in her county. She wanted to improve sanitation, and health of her community, all by age 26. That is amazing. She also was the mother of eleven, eight of which she lived to see pass away. Not only did she work to improve her county, but she helped aid both wounded sides of the Civil War. The first Mother's Friendship Day was organized by this amazing woman in 1868.
   Finally in 1914 Mother's Day becomes a national holiday set for the second Sunday in May. The meaning of Mother's day was set askew here. It now meant to celebrate and show appreciation for the individual mother, no longer the celebration of all mothers.
   Ann Jarvis' daughter, Anna Jarvis spent her entire life dedicated to trying to achieve what her mother started, it proved unsuccessful. She fought against Carnation vendors who were commercializing the carnations, and ultimately she was arrested because of such protest.
   This plight by two women ultimately trying to establish a tradition to honor mothers, all mothers, is amazing. I personally can't celebrate such holiday for its original meaning anymore, but I still have amazing women whom I celebrate with. I never knew the actual history of such fight for women. To me, this is the biggest fight, and half-win that women have ever made.

What are the Breastfeeding Booby Traps?

2011-02-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

this was a good article. there are many things that women are not aware of when it comes to breast feeding. the part that resonated with me most was the fact that most mothers are not educated on breast feeding being that thier mothers did not breast feed. this has always been an issue for me because i knew that when i become pregnant i want to breast feed all my children. being that my mother did not breast feed, i couldn't go to her and ask her for tips. not having someone to turn to for advise about mothering is very hard. there are always underlying issues regarding breast feeding i.e. cultural norms/acceptance/seeing a mothers body as a commodity rather than a human being with nurturing capabilities.. and so many more. i think these are many reasons why some women do not breast feed. although it has been proven to be much more healthier for your baby, mothers have the choice to choose whether or not they want to. but i think there's more to the story than women not WANTING to, rather they are influenced to not want to.
"At worst, our mothers may be uncomfortable with breastfeeding, have unresolved feelings of guilt or anger, be prey to myths and misinformation, and intentionally or unintentionally undermine us. While we understand that the previous generation didn’t know better, like seatbelts and sunscreen, it is a tough issue to deal with when we are at our most vulnerable as new mothers. At best, our mothers want to support us, but don’t know how." - Cultural Booby Trap!

Breat Feeding Booby Traps

2011-02-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

As someone who has never really wanted children, I've never really thought about breast feeding practices. One of my sisters, after her c-section, wasn't able to produce breast milk and her baby had a lot of allergies, so he had to be on special formula. My other sister was able to breast feed with one of her children, but not the other. This is really the only experience with breast feeding I've had, but www.bestforbabies.com was very informational about breast feeding.

I looked over the section about booby traps and I had no idea there were so many obstacles in the world of choosing the right feeding regiment for your child. One of the "booby traps" I found interesting was the one about your mother/mother-in-law/step-mother etc.. helping you decide to breast feed or not. This goes back to our class discussion about mothering and whether or not its instinctual. New mothers are seeking help in the form of other people in order to make an informed decision. I think this is true of most of the "booby traps" on the site. They are providing a critical look at the medicalization of women's bodies and breast feeding and a critical look of the resources women might have when making decisions about their children.

This may not be the best site, but it is by far better than the "Skinny Bitch- Bun in the Oven" parenting book I saw at Borders.

Booby Traps!

2011-02-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

Of course being on a website about breast feeding the link titled Booby Trap got my attention. Reading further into the article made me realize I never really thought of breastfeeding. I always imagined it was a choice and thought it would save a new mom some expenses by not having to buy formula but it was never seen as a "big deal" in my family. My mom's side is Mormon and they like having child soon after marriage and young. Because most of my cousins got married at 18 they did not have a chance to establish a career so the thought of affording formula was somewhat out of the question. They also would be stay at home moms because that is the choice all of them made. On my mom's side it was common for me to see on of my cousins, aunts, or female relative, breastfeeding at any given moment. It was never embarrassing or awkward and it was something openly talked about.

When I was 16 I remember I asked my mom if all 3 of my siblings and me were breastfed and she said yes it was the cheapest thing she could do. This is coming from a mom who had to use re-usable diapers because of lack of funds with my dad being in trade school. I asked her more questions and weather or not it was painful. The answer she gave did not scare me into not wanting to try it, but made me comfortable knowing I could go to my mom, aunts, or cousins for advice. I am really relived that if the day comes where I have one of my own I will have a huge support system where I know not any topic is off limits or even uncomfortable for that matter.

It is a little upsetting to see the health care system is really lacking in providing new mother with knowledge of breastfeeding. My goal is one day to be a nurse and I am always searching for a field to specialize in. Being in this class has really shaped my decision of wanting to help moms while pregnant and after birth to break down the so many assumed choices that do not really end up being choices. I would really like to influence moms to ask questions, realize they have a choice in everything that is done to their baby, and support them in whatever decision they choose.

choice

2011-02-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

At first, when I was on the home page it was hard for me to understand what this website was all about. Even though now that I look back they had something about the organization in the middle of the homepage! I guess I was looking at it when I had already made up my mind about what it was going to be about. I thought it was about adoption for a “husband and wife”. When I started exploring the website more, I had an epiphany. That it was for “single” women who wanted to adopt for various reasons, such as they couldn’t have children, there husband had died or they just wanted to start a family on their own etc . I liked the way the offered various online support for mothers to be. The categories that they have are waiting, Becoming and being. They include all the factors that come with adopting a child. It includes the various ways one can become a mom, it’s not just adopting but insemination or donor conception etc. They have blogs for women that have adopted and they share the ups and downs and how they have dealt with school projects that have include the “mother and father”. I noticed that this website is more targeted toward women that have the money and able to access these resources. This includes white middle class women who would have professional jobs and are able to afford all the little riches that come with being a mother. I didn’t see any perspective from a woman of color or any woman of color in any of the pictures. I go back to say its because the women that can afford this sort of support system and have the choice on how to be a mother are white middle class women.
Jannette Diaz

Breast Feeding

2011-02-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

I picked http://www.bestforbabes.com/ to look at this week. I plan on having children in the near future (3-4 years). I want to give my child everything I possibly can. I know I would really like to breast feed my children but I know that if I cannot give them the nurturance that they need I will do other ways to give that to them. I love this website because it lets mothers know it’s okay and that they are not a bad mother if they can’t breast feed. My mother couldn’t produce the right nurturance for me to grow so she gave me formula it wasn’t because she didn’t want to breast feed me. Now I don’t know if it really brings you and your child closer because I don’t think I could be any closer to my mother than I am. She is my world and my life support. I want to have that type of relationship with my child, and I guess I would do anything to have that, so I can see why mother feel horrible to not breast feed if they are told that they only way to be close to their child is to breast feed. This website is great and I think any expecting mother should read it.

My breasts or are they yours?

2011-02-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

I felt drawn to read Best For Babes: Beating the Breastfeeding Booby Traps. I have had three children and breastfeed all three to some extent and the first two I had were born in the nineties so back then feeding newborns formula was the thing to do. With my second child I was very ill so I stopped producing milk. So I ended up going to formula when he was 10 months old. I felt okay about it since all the pediatricians raved about formula. These days there is so much controversy over what is best. Research shows that breastfeeding is best. However, women are being scrutinized over their decisions on whether or not to breast feed. My third son I wanted to breastfeed. I kept breastfeeding as long as my body would let me. It wasn't easy since I was becoming ill. The pressure from society to breastfeed was so strong that in the back of my mind I felt I had to for my son despite my own health. Well I breastfeed my son until he was 19mos old and I became to ill. I felt so guilt ridden that I had to stop. There is so much pressure from both sides. What is a new mother to do?

Then we also look down or look at breastfeeding in public as such a negative thing. Women are not exposing themselves in a sexual way while breastfeeding and yet it draws negative reactions. I think we all need to look at this critically because society tells us that mass media like Playboy or other skin magazines are okay to be displayed out in public where the women models are wearing less than a woman (doing something that our bodies were meant to do) breastfeeding.
Very interesting topic.

Best for Babes

2011-02-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I can't believe it is already week 5 and February.

This week, I checked out the website Best for Babes: Beating the Breastfeeding Booby Traps! I was really interested in what this website had to offer in regards to "booby traps", because not being a mother myself I had no idea there was so much controversy over whether to breastfeed or not. Looking at Best for Babes showed me that breastfeeding is a very healthy and natural thing. I was really surprised/shocked to find that the doctors and nurses in the hospitals are encouraging new mothers to give their newborns formula, when it has shown to cause weight loss among the babies. I was glad to have read this prior to having children, because if I were to have gone in yesterday I would give my newborn formula, because I didn't know any better and because a DOCTOR has told me to do so. Another thing that I found on this website that seems to be a bit controversial is the issue of breastfeeding in public. Many people do not like to see a woman in public exposed and breastfeeding their baby and wish that those mothers would go somewhere private. While mothers themselves to not like it when people passing by stare at them while they are trying to give their children milk through a very normal, healthy way... their boob! Best for Babes was an extremely informative website for me and I am not a mother, but something I will take with me when I do decide to become one.

Side Note:

There was something that I had wanted to say in class today, but had not seen a time to do so. I just want to let you all know that my family has been working on changing the social "norm" in our own little ways. Recently, my oldest sister had her baby shower (which my middle sister and I through for her) and we invited our Dad, all our boyfriends and close family male friends. A baby shower doesn't have to be old fashion any more and we can start make changes as little as that.

Cleaning products

2011-02-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

Hey, so I am having a hard time remembering how cleaning products came up in our conversation today. But, it reminded me of this hilarious clip and I had to share! Please comment and we can talk more about this!

http://current.com/shows/infomania/89317322_sarah-haskins-in-target-women-cleaning.htm

Enjoy!

-Andrea

Regarding post below...

2011-02-01T16:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, I haven't watched the clip, but this is all over the news! EEEEK! Thanks for posting and I will view it later...

Go to this link and sign the petition: http://pol.moveon.org/smithbill/splash.html?rc=homepage_splash

--Andrea

WHAAAAA....?!

2011-02-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

A fb friend brought this to my attention a few minutes ago...

GOP plans to redefine "rape" so women can't get abortions.

Busy Busy

2011-02-01T12:02:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Well, I am trying to get a little piece of my thesis written today. I have updated the websites over there for week 5 >>>>>>>>

...but I still haven't been able to comment on everyone's blog posts yet. I'll get there!!! In the meantime, enjoy the new websites this week and I will see you in class tomorrow. :)

Bird's Eye View

2011-01-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

Between trying to get caught up in this class, trying to make sense of new information in other classes, battling with a very frustrated 5yr old, reading more than I've ever read in my entire life, picking up an odd job here and there, trying to be social so I don't lose all my connections here in the valley, having family come visit for the weekend, cleaning the house for the first time in over a month, dealing with a very dramatic babydaddy, and re-arranging a recent loss in terms of a romantic connection...

I've been neglecting blogging.

So, in a feeble attempt to get caught up I've had my laptop semi-permanently attached to my thighs for the last 4 hours (also, miraculously enough I've only facebooked twice for less than 5 minutes, hallelujah!). My brain, albeit overloaded, actually was listening a little bit for once.

I found kind of this interesting article on "How Feminism Should Be Defined"... Now (no pun intended), when I first started taking these classes I, too, was one of the general population that just kind of assumed that "Feminist" meant man-hater, bra-burner, liberal hippie lesbian. Oh how the view has changed!

"How Feminism Should Be Defined" actually helps clarify things in layman's terms, about how there are different ideas and different types of feminists. I just want to run around posting my findings to everyone now, so that more people like how I was can have a better understanding! It even references NOW, and how not all feminists share the same outlook on reproductive justice.

Um hai, we may all have vaginas but we definitely don't all have the same opinion. Vaginas ≠ Thoughts. More so, not just the range in the level of feminism, but we also have MALE supporters out there too! Feminism comes in all shapes and forms and ideals.

Dunno. This revelation just struck me and I thought I would share.

In other news:

I (being a mom) was drawn to ChoiceMoms.org mostly out of curiosity to see where I might be able to apply it to my own life. A.) the site layout is pretty awesome :"thinking, trying , waiting, becoming, being" are the labels where standard tabs usually read "home, about us, contact us, etc." WAY user friendly!! Thinking about adopting? or getting pregnant? They have help for that. Or what if you've been trying? And even support for AFTER you have adopted/given birth. B.) AWESOME! Wish they had this 6 years ago...

Going back to what I was saying about the Yahoo! article on the definition of feminism, I had to check out the NOW site too. NOW is overwhelmingly a one-stop shop for all kinds of feminist connections. But one of the little gems I found from NOW was the "Love Your Body" page they have tucked away. Which, of course, strikes a chord with me because we did this for our class project last term. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for positive body image (and changing the way the media portrays women)... but I also think that "loving your body" can also go hand in hand with reproductive justice, no? If you love your body, then you respect it enough to make decisions (on your own, without anyone else telling you what you should be doing with it) about your health and reproductive options. Love your body enough to do what is right for it (for you).

This is probably gonna come out as politically incorrect as I am trying NOT to make it, but I'm gonna say it anyway:

I was not 100% onboard with ACRJ. Don't get me wrong! I am in it for the reproductive justice aspect! But I guess my qualm is just with racially separating women. Which is complicated, right? And this is a VERY thin line to walk. I mean, there should definitely be support where support is needed... but I guess I'm just one of those people that says "we're all equal; no one is any better, and no one is any worse". But then again, I get offended easily when it comes to this stuff. Like... I find it offensive to go to a website that promotes ANY one race's support in this reproductive matter... it doesn't matter if I can relate, or not. If I go to a website that is supporting Latina Reproductive Justice (even being a self-proclaimed "Mexi-Mix"), I'm like "hey guys, come on... JUST the Latins? Really? Not fair! Include everyone else too! Justice FOR ALL!"

I guess I just feel like we should all be supportive of each other, REGARDLESS of color, creed, race, beliefs.

Soooo Utopian-John-Lennon-Imagine-dream of me, I know.

Side Note: I am SUPER looking forward to the upcoming events February 14, 15, & 16.... anyone else going?

Mothers in Charge

2011-01-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

For this week's blog post, I ventured to the site www.mothersincharge.org. This is a great site. As activism is a big part of feminism, and as we are learning, motherhood is a big part of feminism as well, having feminist-activist mothers is a great thing.

These mothers are working hard to stop violence in their community, which is a big task. This organization has a billboard campaign, at-risk-youth mentoring programs, reading mentoring programs and a literacy improving program where those involved learn through music and writing. I find all of these to be great approached so ending violence in communities. They are working hard to keep youth off the streets and to provide them with a safe space to learn, educationally and for life choices. Mothers like this are inspiration in the activist community.

It is incredibly sad, but these mothers are inspired to end violence because of the high rate of violence against youth in Philadelphia. Their home page gives a chart about the violence rate in Philly, which is very powerful in conveying the information about homicide that involved the youth of the city, as well as the fact that most murders were of people who were African American.

Seeing websites like this is always inspiration. It’s great that there are mothers who are able to balance the mothering life and incorporate the feminist life as well.

From Toronto: pregnant and fearful

2011-01-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

i think it is complete necessary for women to share personal stories such as theses. i believe that by one woman sharing her story it not only gives her a voice but allows her to strengthen another women. when women are given a stage to talk openly about their personal issues it breathes life to women empowerment and the education of women. being that women of all backgrounds, nationalities and SES's experience similar things its imparitive that we share our testimonials and trials in hope that the next woman/girl can learn as well. i think that women who are looking for alternative ways to get pregnant, there's a lot of decision making to be made on her and her unborn child's' behalf. women are always second guessing themselves and the choice that they make in regards to their right as a mother, this is a all too common thing.
having open discussions about our emotions/decisions/ mothering is always good and effective. i believe that women are able to feed off of each others energy and vibes and be one, and that alone is solidarity

Choice Chat:The Ups and Downs of Adoption

2011-01-27T20:14:00.000-08:00

Adoption is a process that seems quite scary to me. I can't imagine adopting a child as a single mother. I commend any woman who does so. I like the reference in the article from Valerie when she says adoption is like boarding a bus. When you are unsure about adoption, and you put it on hold, you're at a bus stop. That is a good way to think about it.

The process of adoption seems crazy in the fact that you have so many choices to make; where, international or domestic, when, etc. I like how Valerie said she got in contact with a woman who already adopted, so she could chat, and get the woman's opinion, and experiences. This woman went through this process after putting a halt to it for a month, and now she feels she is ready. She is willingly adopting and doing so as a single mother, and I think that is awesome. I know how hard my mother worked as a single mother, and I was not adopted.

I think adoption is an amazing process. Anyone who becomes an adoptive parent is an amazing person. These children get to go to amazing families. All adoptive families need a good support system. Strength comes in numbers. When we all work together as allies greatness can be achieved.

Choice Moms website

2011-01-27T17:41:00.000-08:00

The Choice Mom website is for women of all types to find and talk about information, whether that be adoption, defining what a good donor is, or finding the support to become a mother it is open to every type of mom. Their website is divided into moms thinking, trying, waiting, becoming, and being. Each tab that can be clicked on has access to different information about the stages of becoming a mom. Under a topic of discussion entitled "The Politics of Defining Who We are," the author really addresses what a Choice Mom is. One blog reader attacked her statements saying that her site does not included widowed or divorced parents. Mikki, the author, later describes that when she makes statements about single parents it is all encompassing and that she understands that an individuals struggles may be different but a single parent is just that, a single parent. The Reader also suggest that Mikki is making a statement that fathers are not an important part of the equation. Again, Mikki addresses this assumption by explaining not all women have met the right man but still want to be a mother and even though they may be single parents they go through obstacles of just being approved for adoption or sperm donors because they are single. However, Mikki does not believe in anyway that a lack of a father hinders a child's overall well being. I feel like this is a good website for mothers who do not have a partner in their lives but still wish to be a mom. The information about every step can be a huge benefit even if it is just reading other people's efforts or struggles.

Truly a Gift

2011-01-27T17:36:00.000-08:00

I checked out Choice Moms this week and I'm am so happy I did. The website is a search engine, a discussion board, and a place for women to share their stories. The story I read this week was extremely heart wrenching, but with the bad comes the good and that is exactly what this story is about. A 40 year old woman and her 35 year old husband were both growing older with age and both desperately wanting to have kids. One day the husband finds out that he has brain cancer and did not have much more time to live. He and his wife decide to have his sperm frozen in hopes that if he did get better that they could start the family they have always wanted. Eighteen months later the husband died. It was a very hard thing for the wife to accept, but she went ahead with trying to have a baby with her husband's frozen sperm. Her eggs were not usable, so she decided to have a egg donor. After five months of trying she finally became pregnant and had a beautiful baby boy, who happened to look the spiting image of her late husband. This story was an emotional roller coaster for me, but like I said before sometimes in life you have to go through the bad to appreciate the good. I feel as though that has happened for this woman and I think she is so lucky to have a child made from her husband. I know she will be a wonderful parent for her son and her son will grow into a very appreciative young man, because he has seen the struggles his mother has gone though.

Choice Moms

2011-01-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

I looked at the website http://www.choicemoms.org/ for my blog post this week. ¬¬¬¬I think it is great that women have the chance to have children but on the other hand I think children need two parents, either that being a man and a women or a same sex couple. I believe having to views and two helping body’s to raise a child is important. Same sex couples give just as much love if not more than heterosexual couples do. I understand a woman who can’t have children and really want children is important to them and it is great that science has come out with a way to help those women. But I almost think that women who are single should adopt children to help out the unwanted children in other countries or even here in the U.S and not keep populating this earth, but it is the entire woman’s choice, this is just my opinion. I think it is great that this website is out there though because women need a support system to help them threw anything do decide to do. Everyone derives to live the life they want and having someone tell you how to reproduce isn’t right. People do not have the right to judge others, they do not know where they are from or their story.

Modern Sex Conference at OSU!

2011-01-26T13:42:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

You may have been seeing some fliers around campus about the upcoming Modern Sex conference (I posted info under events on the sidebar>>>>)....you also may have heard about all the controversy buzzing around regarding the university's decision to cancel the original keynote speaker, Tristan Taormino, due to her work in the porn industry. Hmmm, well, there is lots to say about this and there will likely be some student protesting as we near the conference. Just to keep yourself informed, here are some links to the recent press OSU has received about the issue:

Her press release-
http://www.puckerup.com/media_kit/osu_press_release

The Jezebel article-
http://jezebel.com/5738022/oregan-state-cancels-conference-keynote-over-porn

Her twitter page, if interested-
http://twitter.com/#!/TristanTaormino

OSU Barometer article:
http://media.barometer.orst.edu/media/storage/paper854/news/2011/01/24/Forum/Too-Sexy.For.Osu-3970074.shtml

Let's discuss in class!!!

-Andrea

It's week 4!!!!

2011-01-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

Check out Dr. Kinser's blog over at motherhoodmuseum.org:

http://museumofmotherhood.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/dr-mama-%E2%80%9Cweek-3-of-atonement-time%E2%80%9D-mamablogger365/

Remember, she will be skyping in on Wednesday to introduce chapter 1 of our book, Motherhood and Feminism!

See you then!

-Andrea

ACRJ: Strong Families Initiative

2011-01-23T19:01:00.000-08:00

Reading through the ACRJ site was a breath of relief, relief in the sense that recognition is needed for the protection of reproductive justice through developing alliances, education to achieve community and the systematic change at the family core.

The section that I gravitated towards was strengthening the family core. Changing the definition of what the family is and what it should be is at the basis of this movement. Working through the reproductive justice lens the ACRJ has united with other reproductive justice groups to focus on various issues that start with the family: justice for immigrant families; access to affordable health-care, including abortion; reforming the criminal justice system to support families. I only mentioned a few as you can read on the site the initiative of strong families. The three I chose are the three I see as being the most impactful and stressful on the family system. We talked briefly in the class about the limitations and oppressions that immigrant families have to go through because of their situations and how taxing this can be to mothers with children.

Bottom line: families are invaluable and vital. In my opinion, this moment needs to be directed on the national level to address all families.

SisterSong Review

2011-01-22T23:26:00.001-08:00

I really enjoyed how the website for SisterSong gave lots of information on the the work they have accomplished in the past and the specific campaigns they have been involved with.

SisterSong is an outstanding organization. They have an upcoming national conference in Miami called, Let's Talk About Sex. This particular conference is a celebration for the movement of reproductive health, reproductive justice, and reproductive rights.

The mission of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective is "to secure reproductive rights by amplifying and strengthening the collective voices of Indigenous women and women of color." I believe that this is so important to find the thing all women have in common which is that we are all women and fighting for our rights.

Lastly, on the SisterSong website they have a tab that says "Get Involved" here you have the choice to join SisterSong, sign up to volunteer or intern, be a part of a working committee and/or be put on the SisterSong mailing list. All of these are great opportunities and I encourage everyone to get involved in some way!

EMERJ's story

2011-01-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

its so amazing to see how people are coming together and uniting under a common oppression. many people see that their is an issue regarding reproductive justice, but many people are not taking action. its refreshing to see these women take action is such empowering ways. its very influential when you see a group of women advocating for themselves and making great strides. when i read this short article on how SisterSong came about, i felt empowered and wanted to to do something similar. its uplifting to see women in positive light, such as these phenomenal women! there's something powerful about reading how women started with nothing but an idea and a few scratches of paper, and years down the road, have built an empire. being that i want to work with women and advocate for those who do not have the resources or the voice to advocate for themselves, makes me believe that anything is possible once you've set your mind to it and have great allies with people who share common goals and aspirations. reading this article truly made my morning.. wheels are turning, great ideas are coming to mind!!

Sharing the love: thank you, Exhale!

2011-01-21T08:41:00.001-08:00

Lisa Russ wrote a very moving blog for the Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice website about a recent episode of MTV's 16 and Pregnant. Lisa started to watch this episode “for her job” and half her mind on the show, and half on other things, but once that show ended, she was changed. This show had a young mother and her boyfriend talk about their decision to have an abortion. The young woman who was debating an abortion was Markai and her boyfriend, James, created emotional moments in the show when they were talking about the future and james was twisting Markai's hair. The couple, mainly Markai did feel the range of emotion before deciding to have an abortion. The difference in Markai's case than that of others, she had trusted people who supported her no matter what decision she made. Not many women who make this decision are lucky enough to have that support, I know I wouldn't.

I am not a huge fan of the show 16 and Pregnant, but when stories like this one come on that I can actually tolerate it. The show has just an outlet for young women to go on television and have their children, I don't see why some women are special enough to get on there, and some are not. All opinions aside, Lisa Russ pointed out how much love was going on in the episode between Markai, James, and another young woman, Katie. They made it through these hard decisions together, and they did have the decision for their reproductive justice, regardless of their race, or class.

SisterSong "Understanding Reproductive Justice"

2011-01-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

There was a lot of great information packed in 12 pages. "Understanding Reproductive Justice" made some great points about what is reproductive justice, and how it pertains to women. i thought this article was very informative and interesting. something that stood out to me most was the section that talked about reproductive oppression and all the problems that women of color experience:
"Abortion isolated from other social justice/human rights issues neglects issues of economic justice, the environment, immigrants’ rights, disability rights, discrimination based on race and sexual orientation, and a host of other community-centered concerns directly affecting an individual woman’s decision making process. By shifting the definition of the problem to one of reproductive oppression (the control and exploitation of women, girls, and individuals through our bodies, sexuality, labor, and reproduction) rather than a narrow focus on protecting the legal right to abortion, we are developing a more inclusive vision of how to move forward in building a new movement."

Mapping our Rights

2011-01-20T23:46:00.000-08:00

When viewing the SisterSong website, I came across Mapping our Rights. This website gives you information about each states views and laws on reproductive rights and regulations. Each state is ranked based on the laws that have been introduced the past and laws that are now in affect that effect reproductive rights.

Looking at the rankings, I was actually surprised. New Mexico came in 1st, Washington in 2nd and California in 3rd. I was most surprised at California's rank considering in 2008 they had a proposition to have parental consent for underage women to receive an abortion. Oregon came in 5th, not to shabby of a placing. I honestly expected it to be a bit better considering Oregon is supposed to be "progressive." The rankings also took into consideration LGBTQ rights that existed or did not exist in all of the states. It is also interesting that the states on the West Coast seem to have higher rankings than those in the South (not surprising) and those on the East Coast. It also points out the trend in more Liberal (pro-choice) and more Conservative (pro-life) legislation in red and blue states.

This website is very helpful considering legislation is the main thing hindering reproductive rights. It is a great example of how a basic human right is under so much scrutiny. I am really happy to have stumbled upon this great tool. Make sure to check it out. It may surprise you as well. http://www.mappingourrights.org/