March for Babies Kickoff!

On March 22nd, we rallied the troops to fire up and get set to raise some money for healthy babies!  The Kalamazoo Division put on an amazing and inspirational kick off event.  We were literally blessed that the United Methodist Church in Downtown Kalamazoo welcomed us to their fantastic faclity.  We enjoyed delicious Jimmy John's subs and yummy cupcakes that were homemade, but looked oh so professional!

We loved seeing the success stories there:  Izzy, Gunner and all the other March of Dimes babies!

Emma was a doll, she is such a sweet girl, she entertained all the little ones, even though she is mature beyond her years!

Mom2Mom: Success

On March 19th, the VBISD welcomed us to host a Mom2Mom sale at the Van Buren Conference Center (THANK YOU!!!!)  We met a community need (connecting moms in need of affordable baby stuff with it) and raised awareness for the March of Dimes!  Over 75 moms and their families came to support the cause.

All proceeds of the sale were donated to the March of Dimes.  With admission and table rentals, we raised over $275!

Vote for the March of Dimes!

If you are on facebook, please go to this link for Allegra Print to vote for the March of Dimes to receive $1000 of free advertising from Allegra!

Bangles for Babies!

Do you know anyone with a home business or sales opportunity?  Chances are, if you do, they may be willing to donate a portion of their proceeds to your charity, the March of Dimes.  I know just this kind of person!  Sue McDonald is an Advisor for Lia Sophia jewelry.  She and I went to high school and keep up through facebook.  She generously donated some gorgeous jewelry for a Prematurity Awareness Day event and also supported my March for Babies campaign last year.

Depending on the level of sales of the party, she may donate her entire earnings to the charity!  So if you want some quality attractive jewelry, for an amazing cause, you can check out the website and get something amazing for yourself while helping babies! 

Her website is:  www.liasophia.com/suemcdonald Just use my name for the hostess and your order will benefit babies of Michigan.  Right now, if you buy 2, you get 2 half off (make sure you take half off the most expensive items!

Gunner's Story

Gunner was born two months too soon.  This was after pPROM at 28 weeks (water breaking way too early). After five weeks, 1 day of hospital bedrest, further complications arose, necessitating an emergency delivery.  Gunner was a fighter from day one.  I remember the scream he let out while trying to breathe with his immature lungs.  If it were not for the research funded by the March of Dimes that found a way to make synthetic surfactant, many babies born closer to their due date than he was, wouldn’t make it. 

Gunner spent 39 days away from his family, in the NICU.  When he was born he couldn’t breathe on his own, couldn’t maintain his temperature, and couldn’t eat like full-term newborns.  He lived in an isolette to keep him warm, he ate through a tube, and he had to be monitored 24 hours a day to make sure he remembered to breathe.

The NICU at Bronson took amazing care of our son!  It was obvious with his special needs, he wasn’t ready to come home.  As he got bigger and stronger, our family learned what we needed to do to keep him healthy once he came home. The March of Dimes provides support for parents while in the NICU and education to help them take their children home safely.

These emotional experiences have pushed us to get involved with our local March of Dimes.  Supported by the most amazing family and friends, we did our first March for Babies in 2010 in honor of our son.  I still cannot believe that we raised almost $3000!  This year, we proudly represent the Kalamazoo Division as the Ambassador Family and we can’t wait to help others fight for babies!

Too Many Babies Are Delivered Too Early: Hospitals Should Just Say No

I read an article about the scary number of late term "elective" c-sections.  I remember my first pregnancy.  I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and was told I would be induced if the baby wasn't born by his due date.  He was born at 5lb 12oz, well below "average" birthweight.  He was also born by c-section due to fetal distress.  I always wonder, "what if" I hadn't been induced?  Ask any mom who has to leave their sweet baby in the hospital while they go home..waiting to 40 weeks is definitely the more desirable choice.  You can read the article by clicking on the link below.

Too Many Babies Are Delivered Too Early: Hospitals Should Just Say No

"Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks for a reason. At 35 weeks, a baby's brain tips the scales at just two-thirds of what it will weigh by weeks 39 to 40. Going full-term gives a baby's lungs time to mature and improves a baby's ability to suck and swallow. But too many doctors — and moms — are disregarding advice from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to wait until at least 39 weeks to deliver.

It recently released data collected from 773 hospitals about the percentage of births between 37 and 39 weeks that were considered elective, or not medically necessary. The rates soared as high as 40% and varied widely between hospitals across the country and even in hospitals in the same city; in Los Angeles, for example, some hospitals reported rates as low as 4% and as high as 29%. (More on Time.com: Who's Too Posh to Push? High Cesarean Section Rates Aren't Moms' Fault)

Now the March of Dimes is calling on hospitals to solve the problem by requiring every physician who schedules an elective delivery before 39 weeks to justify its medical necessity. “Doctors know it's not right, but they just aren't being held accountable,” says Alan Fleischman, medical director of the March of Dimes."

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/31/too-many-babies-are-delivered-too-early-hospitals-just-say-no/#ixzz1DQWh7m1p

Setting a Goal

How do I set a goal?  How do I know what my goal should be?  Honestly, I didn't really think too much about what my goal was my first year out, but in hindsight, I should have.  A goal not only gives you something to shoot for, but also helps connect everyone to your child or story.

So, this year I have put more thought into my goal.  Initially, I just said, I want to $5000.  (I know, this sounds like ALOT, please don't be intimidated)  But now, I am carefully selecting my goal.  Last year, we as a team, raised over $3000.  So I know it has to be more than that.  But when I look at the meaning behind my goal, I looked at these options:

$3900, $100 a day for each day my son was in the NICU
$3300, $100 for each week of his gestational age
$5100, $100 for each day of hospital bedrest

This is my family on Mother's Day 2009, three days after my water broke at 28 weeks.  My son wasn't born until weeks.  5.1 weeks on bed rest.  Because I wanted my goal to be significantly more than what we raised last year, I am going with the $5100.

So when people ask me, how can I set a goal?  Or, what should my goal be? I answer, look at your story, follow your heart.  Let your goal tell your story.  Mine does.