CleanBirth - Saving Mothers and Babies in Laos

CleanBirth.org - Donate $5 Saves 2 Lives

CleanBirth in book: “100 Under $100”

10561821_1095980050417362_4855822323669706933_nWe are so proud to have CleanBirth.org featured in the book 100 Under $100: One Hundred Tools for Empowering Global Women.  I just received my copy this week and its incredible to see our small but mighty org listed.

Yesterday, the author Betsy Teutsch featured us in a blog post that she wrote on Kveller.com! (http://www.kveller.com/how-to-help-the-worlds-poorest-women-give-birth-safely/) Here’s a quote from the article:

“In each of my book’s 100 entries, I include an actionable item. CleanBirth.org focuses on Laos, a country with very high maternal death rates. For a $10 contribution, donors underwrite the cost of two Clean Birth Kits, provided to a nurse who both educates her pregnant patients and provides them with kits. CleanBirth offers attractive gift cards, making it easy to extend the blessings of the safe childbirth we take for granted to places where something as simple as a birth kit can save lives. The also sell Birth Provider Thank-You Cards for expressing gratitude to the doula, midwife, labor nurse, Ob-Gyn, and pediatrician.”

So thrilled that we get a mention as an “actionable” item and to be included in this amazing book.

Last Minute Mom’s Day Gifts

If you are like me, Mother’s Day is a last minute stop to get a card or maybe flowers for mom.  Despite being a mom myself, I often forget about the day until the last minute.

With this in mind we developed 2 great last minute gifts that you can buy ON Mother’s Day and they’ll be there on time.  The first are Mother’s Day E-cards:  choose the picture you like best, donate and mom will get it immediately (or on the day you choose.)  The second are Mother’s Day Printable Cards which you can print and give at your convenience.

When you donate $20 8 lives are protected and your mom gets a meaningful gift!  Give the best Mother’s Day gift this year: the gift of live.
1 cardSaves 8Lives-2

Best Possible Care for Mothers & Babies

I so admire Ina May Gaskin.  In my view, her’s is a life dedicated to empowering women.  I hope that mine is too.  I believe that how babies come into the world matters.  My own births were far from perfect.  Things happen.  But the thing that I took away is that every woman should feel as empowered as possible.  Mothers should have as much information as possible.

In Laos where we work, women have very little information.  If their birth is normal, they are certainly allowed to birth alone because birthing alone (or with the help of family) is the norm.  But when warning signs turn up in pregnancy or the birth shows signs of complications, the women we work with have few resources to identify and act on these problems.  And so, many women wait to long to seek help or help is too far away regardless. So women die and babies die.

It is our hope that by making a start: training nurses, giving birth kits, we are beginning the process of giving all women in the area of Laos where we work a chance at a safe, empowered birth.  There is a long way to go until every mother has a trained nurse or midwife by her side.  But I hope that I will see the day when that is possible.
comforting

My #1 Tip for Moms this Mother’s Day

IMG_1185This post is the brain child of Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kid Yoga Stories.  She asked fellow members of our blog group MulticulturalKidBlogs to write about their number one tip for moms.  All of the blogs will link together in support of CleanBirth.org and our efforts to raise awareness and donations this Mother’s Day.  For those interested in buying Mother’s Cards that honor mom or grandma and make birth safer for moms in Laos click here to see the beautiful card choices: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CleanBirthGifts.

And now for my tip:  Be Kind to Yourself!  As a mom you are going to hear about all the ways to be the BEST mom.  You will hear that you should stay home or work, give them organic jarred food or home-made,  let them watch TV or no TV etc… There are so many rules and so many ways to fail.  And that’s how you end up feeling at the end of many days: like a failure.  Exhausted, defeated, and the breaker of many “Mom Rules”.

I’m here to tell you that the rules don’t matter.  You matter.  You are doing your best.  You are loving your kids just fine.  You have got to be kind to yourself.

If you work and you love your kids, your kids will be just fine.

If you stay home and you love your kids, your kids will be just fine.

If you buy jarred food and you love your kids, your kids will be just fine.

If you make your own food and you love your kids, your kids will be just fine.

If you you let them watch TV and you love your kids, your kids will be just fine.

If you don’t let them watch TV and you love your kids, your kids will be just fine.

So go easy on yourself and forgive yourself.  Love yourself, love the kids (even if you don’t always like them).  Everyone will be just fine.

 

 

 

 

 

Mother’s Day Cards: Marketing Help

CleanBirth.org: Happy Mother's Day eCard
e-cards

IMG_7321 6I love our Mother’s Day card offerings: e-cards, printable cards and our beautiful “Bags of Love” — custom stamped with Mom, Grandma, Auntie or many many other choices.  I really think that they are the best gift for Mother’s Day

We have come a long way from last year and I am happy to report 6 card sales already this year — I have only yet publicized on FB.

The cards have sold well for Mother’s Day, Baby Shower Favors and Baby Shower Hostess Gifts when people know about them.  The challenge I have is getting the word out.

I would love the help of someone who knows about product marketing and would like to make a big impact on our organization.  I believe card sales will make our organization sustainable bc the money spent isn’t a hand-out but a great use of people’s gift-giving funds.  People are going to buy Mother’s Day cards anyways, why not ensure that they are doing good with that money.

Please contact me: kzalota@cleanbirth.org if you are someone who knows about product marketing and would love to share your knowledge to make a difference!

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