Maunga Taranaki

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Blogging again...

but not here. You can find me over at Hannahs edible garden. I might pick up this one again one day.

My lil rasta girl!

Today my gorgeous, sweet, funny, cleaver, boisterous little man Kian flew off to Australia! He is away for the school holidays with his other family. Our house is so quiet. We miss him!

Victim blaming

There's an ad running on TV that really pisses me off.

It can be viewed here.

A young woman goes out binge drinking, has a good time then ends up being dragged down an alley-way by some mongrel and we're led to belive she gets raped. Their motto thingee is "Its not the drinking, its how we're drinking." So the message is don't binge drink, or you will get raped. It clearly implies that it is the womans fault because she got too drunk and failed to keep herself safe. But drunk women do not cause rape, rapists cause rape!

The ad should focus on the man.

I bought it up with Jim last night and we ended up having a minor disagreement over it. He said something along the lines of "she should've kept herself safe, stayed with her friends."

Actually No! Rapists should stop being rapists!

This really deserves a complaint to the advertising standards authority. I might get around to it one day.

My lil rugby man!

How green is your life?

Your Life is 80% Green

You live a very green life, and you're aware of how your actions help the earth. Of course, it's hard to be totally green. But when you make a tradeoff, you know why you're making it.

How Green Is Your Life?

I'm surprised at this score, I was expecting it to be lower as I know I could do a lot more.

Daddys Girl

The conversation that occured during yesterday mornings three-way-mama-brother-sister cuddle:

[Wahine Toa] I love you two.
[Son of Wahine Toa] I love you two too.
[Daughter of Wahine Toa (in the sweetest, softest voice)] Dada.

DADDYS GIRL!!!

She always has been.

Here is my favourite photo of them.

Irresponsibility, blame, unrealistic expectations, more blame.. And OH the judgement!

While searching for the answers to some of the hairy questions I got asked in class last week, I came across this discussion about the rise in caesarean sections.


It really bugs me that birth and parenting can be, and IS SO political.

And SO undervalued.

It bugs me that parents to be EXPECT the perfect birth and seem to think they're ENTITLED to a perfectly healthy baby. And when something dosent go PERFECT, the midwife and the doctors get the blame.

Some of these people need to take some responsibility, make their own decisions and deal with their outcome.

Research requried (Auckland): I gave birth to my first just 4 years ago and went through the antinatal classes at National Womans! They told me all about having an epidural but nobody told me at any time during that course that by having an epidural I had more chance of having complications or a CS. I would never of had one. My second was just 18 months ago and my midwife at that time didn't inform me of the risks either. If National Womans own preggie course didn't tell me, how many other woman out there are having these epidurals without knowing the true risks? This is obviously why the CS rates are increasing - nobody is telling mums-to-be.

I find this very hard to believe. The risks (or possible side effects) of the methods of pain relief is certainly something I cover. Did she bother to ask?

I agree with P dee's comment and it is very similar to what Dr Amy said a while ago:

P dee (Wanganui): We are probably also following the USA where health professionals have become extrememly cautious due to unrealistic expectations of patients and possible litigation.

Mum of large babies blames the hospital (and she didn't even have an unnecessarean):

Mum of large babies: My first birth was horrible - "thanks" to modern medicine at Chch Women's. As soon as my waters broke, I was given drugs to start contractions, very painful - and useless - contractions. Nobody checked first whether the baby was ready to be born. He wasn't. His head wasn't engaged & he was facing the wrong way. The birth almost ended up as a "necessary" C-section - caused by the hospital!

Mum of large babies, you CHOSE to let them give you drugs to start the contractions. Own it.

I don't quite know what I think of this next one!

Yes i am a woman (Auckland): Oh for goodness sake I am so absolutly sick of hearing womans rights over her body crap! What about a womans responsibility! From stupid woman using abortion as a form of contraception, because they cant keep their legs closed right through to choosing which way "it" exits your body! To elect to have CS because they dont want baggy bits shows complete selfishness, imaturity and a woman who is more interested in herself than giving, raising and nurturing a new a precious life! The kid will probably end up in daycare 8 hours a day from 6 weeks old so the cretin of a mother can go back to work! and you can forget breastfeeding, "it's my body afterall" Here's a thought for you how about sterilisation! The next generation is probably better off without elite femminists as mothers anyway. What is even worse is that men are buying into all this BS as well! CS has its place so does abortion but this ultra feminist "my body" crap has just gone too far!

Many New Zealanders take our system for granted. Not Expat kiwi:

Expat kiwi (Italy): I had a baby last year in NZ and have nothing but praise for the whole system and midwives/ drs concerned. I live in Southern Italy and here there's a shockingly high CS rate. I'm not sure exactly what it is (no statistics can be found) but i would say 75%+! Amongst all my friends and acquaintances here i only know ONE woman who had natural births; all the rest had a CS. One of the reasons for this is because in my city your only 'options' are 'natural' birth with absolutely no pain relief of any sort, or a CS under general anaesthetic! Seems the doctors get paid per operation they do, plus the CS fit neatly into their schedules, and they are wont to do them should there be any delay in labour. I cannot emphasise enough how wonderful the NZ system is in comparison, and thank my lucky stars I was able to come home for the birth of my baby. If i'd had to have a cs to save my or my child's life then so be it, but the norm here in Italy is to have a CS under the idea that it is easy and pain free is just crazy. Most people here end up having either their MIL or a nanny to help them as they can't even manage the most basic tasks after the CS and it is just plain wrong!

And a few comments from males:

Andrew (Wellington): The ideal is a homebirth style birth, provided with clinical back-up (in case it's needed) within a hospital.

Hooray Andrew!

Dave (Christchurch): I think do it the natural way if you can. Don't whimp out because it "hurts". Yea, maybe im a guy and will never know what it feels like. But maybe it's just the natural way to stop families having way too many babies.

Well Dave, the pain of childbirth is not enough to stop me from wanting another one.

Julius ceaser: I was born of Caesaren birth and it has not affected my life at all. Although, when I leave my house, I climb out the window.

Hahahahahaha!!