M Glasgow via Flickr

Lets face the facts, there is never going to be the one, perfect time in your life when having a baby will not cause serious disruption to your everyday goings on, but there are some factors, that if taken into consideration, will make the process easier in the long run.

First, of course, is finances. Having a baby is very expensive. You will need to look at your household income and plan carefully. Many new parents set up a savings fund in their child’s name when they are born as a sort of rainy day account. Set up a monthly direct deposit to it so that you don’t even see the money.

Secondly, take a good look at your and your partner’s health – remember it takes two to tango. When conceiving, men’s health is as important as women’s. Watch your weight, cholesterol, and make sure that you are both getting enough vitamins and minerals. There are special supplements on the market especially designed to aid conception.

And finally the biggest and most difficult factor to judge when considering starting a family is the strength of the relationship between you and your partners. Raising a baby is the most rewarding experience a person can have but it is at the same time a hard test. The sleepless nights and constant focus on the child put a lot of strain on many relationships. One common complaint among new parents is that non-baby related conversations tends to dry up. When having a baby it is important to focus on your partner as well. Try little surprises, and don’t be afraid to take a little time for yourselves too – remember, that’s what grandparents are for!

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A judge received a request from an anti-abortion team asking to end a law regarding buffer zones around abortion clinics. The group claims the protest-free zones violate their freedom of speech. The anti-abortion group said that the zones around Planned Parenthood clinics in Springfield, Boston and Worcester are restricting them from expressing their anti-abortion messages and the help they offer to expectant moms. They said that the issue is a serious situation.

According to Michael J. DePrimo, a Connecticut-based lawyer, “There needs to be a means of true communication.’’ DePrimo represents some of the activists. But according to the assistant state attorney general Kenneth W. Salinger, the general basis of the lawsuit is that most people never listen to the message of the protesting group. “They can, and do, share their messages outside the buffer zones,’’ he said.

Judge Joseph L. Tauro of the US District Court asked the legal representatives to present additional documents and after that he will take the issue to counsel. The law, which was written in 2007, created a 35 feet protest-free zone from the entrances of abortion clinics to the anti-abortion protesters. It further strengthened the year 2000 law requiring protesters to stay not less than 6 feet clear from the patients once the patients reached the 18-foot clinic entrance boundary.

The 2007 Massachusetts Law was already approved by the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit while the US Supreme Court declined the request to hear one more appeal. Salinger believes that “A lot of people just have no interest in the message people are offering. They don’t need to pay attention to [the protesters’] message if they don’t want to.’’

Abstinence

Abstinence can be an effective way to prevent pregnancies from happening. If you don’t have sex you are not going to get pregnant. If used continuously, abstinence is very effective in preventing pregnancy and it also prevents STDs. Abstinence is one of the safest ways to prevent pregnancies and there are no side effects, except, of course, that you cannot have sex. Plus, its free. Your choice absolutely!

Birth Control Pills

Birth Control Pills are a form of medication for women that contain hormones which prevent the female ovaries from releasing the eggs. They are very effective when used correctly which is precisely the problem: Most women who get pregnant while taking “the pill” failed to follow the instructions thoroughly. There are other problems with the pill, such as the price and the fact that it does not prevent STDs. But to prevent pregnancies, birth control pills are clearly among the most effective measures out there.

Condoms

Condoms have countless advantages: They are cheap, easy to get, protect against STDs and are a effective protection against pregnancy. Campaigns to boost their popularity have done much to improve the image of the condom in recent years, nonetheless too many couples still put pleasure over safety and “do it” without.

Diaphragm

A diaphragm is a shallow silicone cup inserted into the vagina. Like the pill it is highly important to use the diaphragm as directed in the instructions, however, its effectiveness still falls behind the condom and the pill. Also, diaphragms do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

For more and detailed information, you should check out the respective pages of Planned Parenthood USA.

Although Planned Parenthood provides Kansas state abortions solely from its Overland Park clinic, it also maintains two other clinics in Wichita and Hays. Planned Parenthood claims that these two other clinics operate at a loss and provide only non-abortion reproductive health services. The organization says if the state statute goes into effect and strips federal funding, the Hays clinic will have to close and low-income individuals will be affected.

Attorneys for the state of Kansas rebutted Planned Parenthood’s arguments with the argument that other public agencies could handle the patients affected by the closing of the Hays clinic. The state, they argue, is already in talks with alternative service providers. However, Planned Parenthood is arguing if the state’s current infrastructure can handle the new load.

The exchange of claims is just the latest in the constitutional showdown over Kansas’ statute refusing federal Title X funding. This funding was designed to help poor families with family planning services.

image via www.sxc.hu

Some critics think, all we ever talk about is abortion. Of course, thats not true. After all, we are called “Planned Parenthood”. But can you really plan for parenthood? Sure, you can read all the books, buy all the clothes, bottles, toys, prams etc. and sure you can decorate your baby’s new room but, at the end of the day, parenting is full of surprises and even the best, most carefully laid out plans fall apart in the hurricane of a new baby. The best thing you can do is gather your friends and family around you and prepare to be flexible. The book may say that your baby needs a strict feeding regiment but he will, in reality, only eat when he’s hungry. Be careful to take time for yourself too, being a new parent is extremely stressful, and there will be more than one sleepless night. There is absolutely no need to feel guilty about asking the grandparents to occasionally look after your new bundle of joy while you do something for you. Have a manicure or a new haircut and let the stress wash away. An agitated mum is not a good mum and your baby will respond better to you when you are calm and peaceful.
Remember that everyone makes mistakes. Expecting you to be perfect right away is an unrealistic expectation. Do not be afraid to ask for advice; parents, friends and your midwife are all a treasure trove of advice so make the most of it. And relax, being a parent is by far the most rewarding thing a person can do with their life.

At what point will we realize that this about more than just the pro-life/p­ro-choice debate? When will start realizing that this sort of discourse has become a method to impose a moral view of womanhood and female health that is so 19th century its almost scary. Republicans don’t care that they increase unplanned pregnancie­s or endanger womens reproducti­ve abilities by not receiving treatment for infections­. In their view, the women should have kept their legs together. What I dont understand is that there continues to be such strong support for this nonsense and half the population keeps voting for them. Scary. This HuffPo piece has an outlook that is a little more optimistic but I dont know if I can agree, sometimes I just believe its only going to get worse from here…

photo © 2006 Tim Mansfield | more info (via: Wylio)

To add fuel to the fires of this controversy, a judge ruled last week that Indiana must reinstate funding to Planned Parenthood because the Obama administration’s withholding of billions of funding violated public interest. According to the ruling, the lack of federal funding would hurt over a million Medicaid patients. Planned Parenthood argues that it should be publicly funded due to an access issue. Simply put, women would have no other way to address their healthcare needs. According to Plant Parenthood’s released statement, the Indiana legislation would “take away the health care from thousands of women in Indiana, leaving them at greater risk for undetected cancers, untreated infections, and unintended pregnancies.” Critics blast this language as alarmist and exaggerated considering, according to their numbers, Planned Parenthood only serves 9300 Medicaid patients in Indiana. That is less than 1% of all total medicaid recipients in Indiana. Also, according to critics, in counties that have Planned Parenthood clinics, there are over 800 other medicaid-qualified providers.

What are your thoughts?

photo © 2008 Cliff | more info (via: Wylio)

Let me just briefly quote from an op-ed by “Townhall” columnist Paul Kengor: “Sadly, progressives have long pushed for government powers almost solely in the federal direction. Healthcare and Planned Parenthood’s ‘services’ are just the latest manifestation.” I think the “services” in quotation marks gives him away. Not only does Kengor question the integrity and hard work of those who continue to struggle to improve the situation of mostly poor women – he also claims that they do so for ideological reasons. Liberal responses he calls “hysterical”, in itself a very loaded term used to discredit women throughout the Nineteenth Century, mainly to justify their exclusion from the public sphere. If that doesn’t say it all.

photo © 2010 Dave Fayram | more info (via: Wylio)

Oh, and before I forget, a vow: This blog is not going to be all about abortion. Its not all that PP does, its not even what it does most of the time. Most of the time PP helps those in need. And the last time I checked that used to be a good thing. The same poll says that more than 80% of Americans support expanding access to birth control for those who cannot afford it. PP might not provide direct access but it educates young Americans about their choices thus protecting their health and it lobbies for policies that improve access to affordable contraception. They are a voice for those that do not have a voice!