Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Arghh me maety if you love...

...being a prego pirate!

behold a vast n mighty mate she be but a mean and nasty hook has she...
















whats thar in her belly so large a wee 2nd mate smiling at ye


Ahoy ye land lubrs, thar she blows... floating out to sea? nay adrift in the fair isle of pool is she












ok i borrowed the little "argh me matey' from my favorite camp, but i have to admit that for the first time in my life i was dressed as a pirate for a gig on sunday and it made for some fun and a good laugh. the sono is from this morning and the pool shot is from my "vacation" day a week or so ago. enjoy!



Thursday, June 19, 2008

25w 5days: Fetal echo cardiogram & prenatal check up!


we had the fetal echo cardiogram today and the cardiologist say the poppyseed is very echogenic and that poppy's heart looks great. no visible congenial heart defects.

he also said it is very unlikely that Lucy's stillbirth was casued by a congenial heart defect.

also had a prenatal check up... baby still looking good and measuring well. gained a few lbs.

we also have the plan for delivery... we have a new amnio date End of Aug and potential delivery date.

today was also our last offical APPT with super DR. D. Next month we will become a Chef Resident so in 3 wks we start seeing our new OB DR. H.

beginning next week tues i start weekly sono, Bio-physical profiles, NST & umbilical dopler to check blood flow (all you girl that lost your babies to cord issues remember this one write it down and ask your MFM/ Peri to order them for you during you next PGs) i will also have weekly office visits with the Peri another Dr. D or DR. W. and every 3rd week with DR. H.

pics are from today after the echo... profile and looking right at you!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Stillbirth Legislation: Federal and NY State

So we the disenfranchised parents, children and families touched by Stillbirth are stuck, we are stuck lobbying for something that to many seems like it should just be common courtesy to do. But alas it is not something we are being granted easily. We continue to beg, plead, nay argue our position as if our children who died through no fault of our own were merely figments of our overactive imagination. That the months we spent nurturing, caring for and loving these these children that have died meant nothing, not to our government on a federal or state level.
 
Here in NY the Assemebly BIll 8960 remains stuck in the Ways and Means Commmitee. GRR!

From our fine NY leader:
This is our final plea to get Assembly Bill 8960 - Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth - to the Assembly Floor for a vote before session ends on June 23rd.

Sign the online PETITION to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver asking him to use his authority to allow the bill to move out of the Ways & Means Committee to the
 Assembly Floor.

Click on this link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ny-stillbirth-bill

The petition will be open through June 10th and delivered to Speaker Silver's office in Albany. 
Forward the link to everyone ~ ask them to sign the petition in memory of your child.

~Paige
For our child, Samantha 1/26/03-1/26/03
For all of our Children...www.CBRSbill.blogspot.com


From those working on the Federal level: Dear Friends,


We have exciting news! 

Representative Peter King from New York has introduced a bill to raise awareness about stillbirth that seeks to standardize the definition of stillbirth, and the method in which stillbirth data is collected, so there can be a national repository for stillbirth data with which to conduct comprehensive research efforts. The bill also authorizes a campaign to increase public awareness of good prenatal care practices that may decrease the risk of stillbirth, including monitoring movements during the last trimester. To view the actual bill and supporting documents, please visit the First Candle website. 


Now we need your help! We are asking that you write a letter to your Representative asking them to  co-sponsor this bill. The more co-sponsors the bill has, the more likely it is to pass. Please note, this is for the House of Representatives only. Do not contact your Senators at this time.


If you could do this within the next couple days to one week, we will be able to maximize the momentum Representative King has initiated!



Members of Congress receive hundreds of messages from their constituents every day. This communication is important to them because it helps them better understand what issues are important to those they serve. Through your requests, congressional leaders will support legislation, add their names as co-sponsors or even introduce legislation to assist constituents in their districts.


The compelling testimony provided by parents at First Candle’s 2007 Advocacy Day-on-the Hill is what prompted Representative King to introduce this important bill! 


·         The first step is to identify the Representative for the District you live in. If you already know that, or have had direct contact with him/her, you are one step ahead of the game!
 
·         If you do not know who your Representative is, or if you do not have contact information, you can find that information at https://forms.house.gov by putting in your 9-digit zip code (if you do not know your 4 digit extension, you can get it at http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp.) You will then be able link directly to your Representative’s website. There you will find all the information you need, as well as the ability to email directly to their office.
 
·         Once you have the contact information, write your letter. We have provided a sample letter below, but encourage you to add your personal story where indicated. Personal stories always have a greater impact and are taken more seriously than form letters! Of course, you can write your own letter if you have the time or desire. Just remember to keep the statistics and information about the bill consistent with that of the sample letter.
 
·         Sending a hard copy or email letter are both equally effective. If you are mailing a hard copy, feel free to send along the documents attached to this email. It is not a good idea to attach documents to email letters, as they will most likely be rejected. Do not let this discourage you from using email though, as the vast majority of constituent letters do not include supporting documentation. Your email letters can be sent directly through your Representative’s website.
 
·         First Candle would very much appreciate knowing who you have sent a letter to. This way we can conduct follow-up if and when that becomes necessary. Simply send an email to jennifer.johnson@firstcandle.org with your name and the name of the representative or staffer you sent the letter to. Hard or email copies of your letters are also welcome!
 
·         And finally . . . please share this email with anyone that you think would be interested in supporting this effort, including family, friends, your favorite support organizations, groups, websites, etc. 
 
·          If you have any questions regarding the bill or this process, feel free to contact Marianne Adezio at 703-741-7053 or madezio@golinharris.org.

 
We thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this important matter! By working together, we stand to gain the most in our quest to spare families the devastation of stillbirth . . . in the belief that every baby should live.

 
Sincerely,
The Board and Staff of First Candle
 
Sample Letter


Dear Representative ________________:

I am writing to ask you to co-sponsor legislation that would help the CDC and researchers better determine the risk factors associated with stillbirth and convey those risk factors to expectant parents.


House of Representative Bill 5979, the Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act of 2008, was introduced by Representative Peter King of New York in an effort to address the lack of standardized data collection nationally with regard to stillbirth. 


Each year more than 25,000 babies in the United States are stillborn. More than 50 percent of these deaths occur in the last trimester of pregnancy and 15 percent occur during labor and delivery. Due to a lack of autopsy/investigation and inconsistencies in diagnosing these, more than 50 percent of all stillbirths remain unexplained.



With standardized investigation and reporting of these deaths, researchers would be better able to determine the risk factors. H.R. 5979 would both standardize the definition of stillbirth and the method in which data is collected, in order to create a national repository of stillbirth data to assist researchers in conducting comprehensive studies in to the causes of, and possible preventive strategies for, stillbirth. The bill also authorizes a public awareness campaign promoting good prenatal practices, including monitoring movements during the last trimester of pregnancy, to reduce the risk of stillbirth.


This legislation is important to me because (insert your personal story here)



Thank you so much for your consideration of my request.


(insert name and contact information here)