Search Results

Book Harvest is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “provide an abundance of books and ongoing literacy support to families and their children from birth and serve as a model for communities committed to ensuring that children are lifelong readers and learners.” For over 8 years Book Harvest has been striving to give every child access to reading and learning through their four programs: Book Babies, Books on Break, Books to Go, and Community Book Bank. About Book Harvest Ginger Young founded Book Harvest in 2011 with the mission to help every child gain access to books and reading skills. In the first month after opening, Ginger and Book Harvest collected 10,000 books that she kept in her garage in Chapel Hill, NC. Ginger is the Executive Director of Book Harvest today. Book Harvest places a particular emphasis on building home libraries for children from low-income families, as there is a link between poverty and poor academic outcomes. Their mission is to level the playing field when it comes to academics and socio-economic status. Reading is essential to fight this problem as it builds confidence, expands horizons, and helps create future readers! Book Harvest provides a variety of popular (and bilingual) books (approximately 1.053,369 to date) to children from birth to the end of high school. They achieve their mission through four main programs: Book Babies (263 Families) From the very start of an infant’s life Book Harvest is there for your little one. Two or three times a year a home visitor with a background in education or social work will come and bring up to 10 brand new books to your house. Each family gets to keep these books. The goal is to have a home library for your child of 100 books by the time that they are in Kindergarten. The focus of this program is to build relationships with the families over the first 5 years of your child’s life. They love to stay in touch with the families and offer other programs like a parent book club and library celebrations to promote library card sign-ups. Books on Break (45 Schools) The time to focus on summer reading for children starts with elementary school. Book Harvest partners with schools in April/May to have a free book fair for the kids, with some schools even hosting this annually. They supply hundreds to thousands of books to schools each year, the amount depending on each school's need. Books to Go (87 Educators and 43 Schools/Organizations) Several times each year, Book Harvest opens their warehouse to allow teachers to come and find books that they know their kids would love to read. Each book is given to the kids to keep. All books in the warehouse are free and there is no limit to the number of books that can be taken. Afterwards, the teachers are free to come up with many unique and creative ways to give away the books to their students in the school. Community Book Bank (84 Organizations) Book Harvest’s largest program today is their Community Book Bank. Through this program they donate books to community members and organizations serving children from low-income families. Organizations range from doctors’ offices and day cares to laundromats and barbershops. The Community Book Bank partners with organizations and offers free bookshelves in lobbies and waiting areas, book tables at community events, and other mechanisms. They make sure that children and families who are taking advantage of services offered by these partner organizations also have access to free books anytime they visit that partner organization. Book Harvest refills the books as needed, with no questions asked and no charge to the host organization. They also host giveaways at events like family literacy night or parent teacher conferences. About Daniele Berman Daniele Berman is one of the amazing staff members at Book Harvest. Daniele’s strong and kind demeanor makes her the perfect Communications and Events Manager! She is responsible for managing all of the communications and a robust calendar of special events. Daniele’s children follow in their mom's footsteps by volunteering, and by being ambassadors for Book Harvest. Daniele not only influences her own children, but also the lives of anyone she meets! “It is a particular kind of pride as a mother and a staff member to see your own child’s life changed alongside the lives of the children your organization serves.” Platypus Media and Book Harvest We are honored that some our books are among the many that Book Harvest uses in its programming, including Babies Nurse (bilingual) and Cuddled and Carried (bilingual). How You Can Help If you have new or gently used children’s books you’d like to donate, please drop them in the Book Harvest bins at any of these locations. You can also buy books from their Amazon wishlist and have them shipped directly to their office!

Having a baby in the NICU is life-altering, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. There are many resources out there that can provide support for parents and families of premature babies. Babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may have been born too small, too soon, or with a medical condition that requires intensive care. Parents who have a baby in the NICU are under a lot of stress. Having a premature infant can bring out many emotions in families, so it is important to seek out resources for support and advice. Hospital Resources Most hospitals offer support programs for parents and families that have a little one in the NICU. These programs are staffed by support specialists and former NICU parents, who offer the support and perspective of someone who has lived through this difficult experience and know what resources to apply. There are often hospital services - offered by hospitals like Brigham and Women's - that offer sibling support and 'parents night out' programs where parents can relax, meet, and chat with other families who are in the same situation. Hospital staff can also provide sibling support in the form of informative children's books and coloring books to help them understand their sibling’s unexpected journey. Hospitals with a NICU Family Support program are often able to offer families special materials as well, like keepsake booklets for their NICU baby, a guide for parenting in the NICU, and a NICU guide. How to Support Families with an Infant in the NICU Even with all of the support that the parents get from the hospital, loved ones of families with an infant in the NICU can offer their love and support as well. There are many things that you can do to show your support and love! Here are some examples: Don't wait to be asked: Instead of asking what you can do for them, offer them a few concrete ways to help (doing a load of laundry, taking care of a pet are a few examples) and then ask what would be the most helpful. Do listen and offer your support: Let your loved one know you're there for them if they need to talk, and that you're willing to listen to them. Even if you can't offer specific help at the time, being able to talk about the myriad of emotions involved with having an infant in the NICU is helpful. Do call and visit: Time in the hospital can be tiring and lonely, so let families know that you're there for them through it all. Even if they don't ask you to come and visit, it doesn't mean they don't want you there, so it's important to offer. Don't stop after the first few weeks: Connect however you can, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. Even the weeks after families leave the NICU can be scary and emotional, so keep connecting and let them know you are there. Don't forget the rest of the family: Siblings, as well as parents, experience strong emotions when their new brother or sister is in the NICU. Offer to spend time with them to help ease their stress and distract them with fun activities! Coloring Books to Support Families It is difficult for the whole family when a new baby is in the NICU. In addition, the baby's siblings might not understand why their new baby can't come home right away. Come Home Soon, Baby Brother! explains that the NICU is a special place that works to make baby healthy. This coloring book is a playful and informative guide for the baby's older siblings, teaching them what they can do to be a great big brother or sister. Available in English and Spanish. Platypus Media also offers the coloring book Rich and Creamy for Our Preemie. This warm and informative coloring book helps parents and siblings of NICU babies learn that love and support flow from many places, and it is also available in Spanish.

Mothers' Milk Bank (MMB) is a non-profit program of Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation whose mission is 'to improve the quality of life for families, sick children and infants throughout our communities by providing support when and how they need it most.' MMB collects, tests, processes, and dispenses donated human milk to babies across the United States. About Mothers' Milk Bank Serving over 158 hospitals, and with a total of 79 milk Donation and Outreach Centers in 24 states, Mothers' Milk Bank is the largest milk bank in the country (by volume of milk dispensed). Mothers' Milk Bank primarily serves areas that either don’t have a local milk bank, or whose local milk bank isn't able meet the needs of the community. All donated milk is thoroughly tested (including for drug of abuse), tested, analyzed and processed. All milk is frozen, shipped, or dropped off with a designated person at milk DOCs. Mothers' Milk Bank is a member of also a member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), and they adhere to their strict guidelines. Started in May of 1984, they celebrate 35 years of providing access to safe breast milk to babies this year! The Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation (RMCHF) was established as the parent organization for Mothers’ Milk Bank in 2004. "Babies in need are so vulnerable, so fragile… and donating to [Mothers' Milk Bank] can help prevent infections and truly save their lives." ~ Laraine Lockhart Borman, Director of Outreach, Mothers' Milk Bank Breast Milk Donation Process All donors must be medically screened, and the questions asked are similar to blood and other donations. They also include: Lifestyle questions like returning to work or school Amount of milk already collected Previous experience with breastfeeding Donors can submit an interest form online or call, and then they are confirmed by a physician. Donors are not paid in any way for their services, but likewise they do not pay for the blood tests required to donate milk. They prefer to acquire around 150 oz of milk per donor, but some women have donated thousands of ounces. The amount of times a woman donates varies from once to many times over the course of many months Interview with Laraine Lockhart Borman Laraine Lockhart Borman, IBCLC is the Director of Outreach for Mothers' Milk Bank, and she has been with the organization since its inception. We spoke to her recently to find out more about this worthy cause! Why is donating milk so important? Laraine: The health benefits received from using human milk (breast milk) for newborns, especially premature newborns, cannot be replicated by any commercial formula product. Donations to and receiving milk from a nonprofit milk bank guarantees that the milk will be safe, unaltered, and provided to the babies who need it most. Are you impacted negatively by banks who pay their donors for milk? Laraine: Considering HMBANA banks have increased the number of ounces of milk dispensed by 12% (to 6.3 million oz of milk), I would say no. We don’t think that it is ethical to pay for milk, because it requires charging patients who are most in need. This is not only unethical, but it is a difficult business model to uphold. At Mothers' Milk Bank, we believe in full transparency, so there can be no question of whether women are being taken advantage of by introducing a for-profit element to the milk donation process. Recipient families, parents and grandparents, they appreciate the milk and the donors so much. That’s why we at Mother’s Milk bank call the donors ‘angels’. ~ Laraine Lockhart Borman, Director of Outreach, Mothers' Milk Bank Do you have to spend a lot of time dealing with insurance companies? Laraine: No, because about 90% of the donated milk goes to hospitals who pay the processing fee outright. The remaining 10% goes to healthy-term infants who need the milk as a bridge to breastfeeding until mom's milk is available. We do not charge patients for the milk, so it never goes to insurance. Insurance doesn’t pay under those conditions unless the child has severe health problems with a demonstrated medical need. What are the donor eligibility requirements? Laraine: We have comprehensive guidelines for milk donation, and in order to donate mothers must meet the following criteria: Be confident in her milk supply and produce milk in excess of her own baby’s needs. Be willing to donate a minimum total of 150 ounces throughout her time as a donor with us. Not be taking vitamin supplements that exceed 2000% Daily Value (DV). Take only approved medications and herbal supplements/teas. Mothers’ Milk Tea, fenugreek, and any lactation support product containing fenugreek or other herbs is NOT compatible with donating. Not have any medical condition that prohibits her from giving blood (there are exceptions to this rule – please contact us if this applies to you). Consume less than 450 mg of caffeine per day (2-3 cups of coffee). Wait 6 hours after drinking any alcoholic beverage to collect milk to donate. Be motivated to practice exceptional hygiene and carry out careful milk collection and storage methods. Be willing to undergo blood testing. Be less than 18 months postpartum when collecting the milk. How You Can Help Mothers’ Milk Bank’s donors are women who produce milk in excess of their own babies’ needs and who complete the screening process. Babies who receive the milk may be premature or have severe illnesses and need human milk to thrive. "You can make a bigger impact by donating your milk to a non-profit milk bank. Donating milk can save lives." Laraine Lockhart Borman, Director of Outreach, Mothers' Milk Bank Every ounce counts. One ounce of the precious gift of milk can feed a micro preemie for an entire day. With thousands of babies needing life-saving milk every week, they are always in need of more milk donors. To learn more about the donation process, watch this video on their website.

There comes a time in all parents' life that they have to start the weaning process for their child. Weaning is the process that begins the first time your baby takes food from a source other than your breast. When you start weaning your child, you are gradually replacing breastfeeding with other foods and ways of nurturing. 'Baby-led weaning' is eating with your baby at the same time, at the same table, and sharing the same food. Your baby simply feeds herself, exploring and enjoying healthy family meals, and bypasses purees and mashed-up foods. This may be an especially difficult moment for breastfeeding mothers, as the baby-mother bond grows when breastfeeding, but this gradual process is a natural way to get your baby ready for the solid foods that it needs to grow and develop. When to Start Baby-Led Weaning The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breastfed exclusively for at least the first six months of life. At this age, your little one has dropped the tongue-thrust reflex (which causes them to push foreign substances out of their mouths), and their intestines have developed the necessary digestive enzymes to absorb solid food. While some parents begin to wean earlier to prepare to go back to work, others may wait until their children are toddlers before fully weaning. Every child is different, as is every parent, and each have their own idea of when is the best possible time to start weaning. There is no right or wrong time; it is all up to you! As you prepare to wean, it's important to check in with your pediatrician to make sure your baby gets the green light to wean. Benefits of Baby-Led Weaning Weaning can be a bittersweet time for parents as their baby "grows up," but it can be exciting as well. You can start to cherish all of the amazing benefits that baby-led weaning introduces to your little one. Growth and Development: Weaning means your baby is ready to try new things, and get their nutrition from new places. They will learn skills that they'll use for the rest of their life, like developing manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination skills. It will also introduce them to new flavors, textures, and experiences they've never had before! Personality Development: Weaning is the perfect time to start to see a little bit of your child's personality! Personality traits will emerge as you discover what tastes your child does and doesn't enjoy. Some babies are adventurous eaters right off the bat, while others need a bit of prodding to try new things. It is a fun way to watch your baby grow and try new things! Gaining Confidence: Baby-led weaning gives your infant the chance to do things for themselves. It gives them confidence in their own abilities and judgment. They learn that they are capable of making new and interesting things happen, which in turn helps to build confidence and self-esteem. Family Time: Baby-led weaning starts to introduce your infant to family mealtimes, as they will start eating the same food and joining in this important family bonding time. This is fun for your child, and allows an opportunity to copy mealtime behavior. This is essential when learning how to use utensils, and adopting the table manners expected in the family. Babies can begin to learn about how different foods are eaten, how to share, and how to wait their turn. Safety Tips for Baby-Led Weaning Baby-led Weaning is a natural and beneficial way of introducing your little one to new foods, but there are a few safety tips to take into consideration to make sure your little one has an easy, safe transition: Avoid serving any foods that are choking hazards, including nuts, whole grapes, apples with skin, and cherries. Never leave a baby alone with food! Keep them sitting upright in their high chair while eating, and make sure you always have an eye on them. Watch for allergic reactions from foods! If you see any sign of distress, skin rash, irritability, or other symptoms after consuming a new food, be sure to seek medical attention right away. Explain baby-led weaning to everyone who takes care of your child so that they follow the same safety precautions you do. Baby-Led Weaning DVD from Platypus Media! We are excited to announce our Baby-Lead Weaning DVD is on sale! A $49.99 value, currently listed at $19.95! This is a deal you don't want to miss! This DVD is an introduction to the very different baby-led approach to weaning. It avoids spoon feeding and purees and instead allows babies to feed themselves from the very beginning! I Can Feed Myself is a practical and authoritative guide to introducing solid food, enabling your child to grow up a happy and confident eater.

March is Child Life Month! Hospitals around the world come together during this month to help shed awareness and raise education. To honor Child Life Month, we wanted to celebrate professionals who do so much to help children who are hospitalized due to injury or illness: Child Life Specialists! What are Child Life Specialists? Every day in our hospitals infants, children, and youth confront a wide variety of stressful and potentially traumatic events that can impact their ability to cope. A Child Life Specialist is someone who helps families navigate the stress and uncertainty of acute and chronic illness, injury, trauma, disability, loss and bereavement. These trained Child Life Professionals help improve patient and family care, satisfaction, and overall experience. They are having a positive impact on families during what can be an extremely difficult time, which is why we want to honor them during Child Life Month. Fun Ideas for Honoring Child Life Specialists Child Life Specialists provide the additional support that your child needs when they are afraid and stressed. For providers who want to acknowledge and honor Child Life Month by celebrating their own Child Life Specialists, here are a list of ways to do so! Decorations: Create bulletin boards and decorations honoring Child Life Specialists! You can create a series that profiles about who they are and lets people learn a little more about them, and/or post educational informational resources on the important work they do! Self-Care Day: Any job at a hospital can be stressful and hard. Child Life Specialists encounter a lot of pain, grief, and loss on a regular basis. By setting up a self-care day you can help them unwind a bit and take some time for themselves! Considering hosting a yoga class, massage, or a meditation session for the day. Acknowledge Your Team: Child Life Specialists make a difference every day. Publicly acknowledge them on your hospital's blog post or social media feed that both highlights their important work and informs families about this important resource. Build Awareness: Host a fundraiser for more toys, coloring books, and games the Child Life Specialists use to make children more comfortable. Host a competition internally that accepts donations of gently used or new items and give a prize to the department who collects the most donations! Keep it going throughout Child Life Month to continue to raise awareness as well. Themed Event- Host a themed event for a day where everyone can dress up and celebrate with festive activities. Not only will this honor Child Life Specialists, and celebrate Child Life Month, but it will also put a smile on the patients little faces as they see their favorite character or super hero walking down the hall!

If you are a new parent with a breastfeeding baby, you know how the best laid plans can be hijacked at any moment. Instead of being disheartened, use Valentine's Day to make connecting romantically with your loved one a priority! Expectations can lead to disappointment, so relaxing and going with the flow will make your Valentine's Day go more smoothly. Remember to express how much you mean to each other - with a smile, a kiss, a meaningful look, a cuddle or by simply saying a heartfelt ‘I love you’. On this special day be mindful of your love for your little family and take advantage of little moments to connect. Here are a few suggestions that can help put love into your Valentine’s Day even while breastfeeding! Breakfast in Bed Start your day off with a special breakfast treat! Stay in bed even a few minutes longer and enjoy a hot cup of coffee and/or a warm breakfast treat first thing. Those few extra minutes while cuddled up in your warm comfy bed together will start your day off with a little bit of cozy love. Even if you have your little one smushed lovingly between you two, you can all enjoy the warmth and love that a yummy breakfast in bed brings in the early morning. Collage of “Love” Nothing is better than a handmade gift from a loved one on Valentine’s Day, especially if it is about your little family. Instead of going for a standard gift this year, gather some cute pictures of the family and make a fun collage. Memories of your first months/years as a family is a special Valentine's Day gift that can be enjoyed for years to come! Stay-In Movie Date Instead of going out to a crowded theater for a movie date (which is especially hard with a breastfeeding baby), create your own theater right in your living room! Light some candles, create a cozy setting of pillows and blankets, and pick a movie that will set the mood. Grab some popcorn and hot cocoa and snuggle up together - or with your little one in between you - to create an evening filled with love and deliciousness! Dinner for “Three” It is very hard to find time to go on a romantic dinner at a restaurant with a new infant, especially when you're breastfeeding. So instead of skipping the romantic dinner altogether, simply dine in instead of out! Set the mood with a candlelit dinner, some mood setting music, and one of your favorite meals - all in the comfort of your own home. Create a memorable, romantic night with the ones you love. Once your little one is asleep you and your partner can have a little alone time to enjoy some dessert on your romantic day. Get Frisky Intimacy with a new and/or breastfeeding infant can be tricky, but it's important to find time to connect as a couple. If you’re cleared for intercourse, go for it on this most romantic day of the year! If not, show your partner some affection with lots of snuggles and kissing. DON’T forget you can get pregnant while breastfeeding. Exclusive breastfeeding usually means you have a lower chance of getting pregnant for the first six months after giving birth, however it IS possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding. If you’re not ready for another baby, play it safe. For guys: since she's probably not on any estrogen-containing birth control while nursing, it would be sexy if you could take care of the contraception on your end. Celebrate All Love Yes, Valentine’s Day is a day to show your partner how much they mean to you with acts of love, but now you have another little member of your family that you both love unconditionally. You can celebrate your day with your growing family by filling your day with family activities everyone can enjoy! Show ALL your loved ones how much they mean to you, and what better way than spending this love-filled day together.

We are honored that our book Cuddled and Carried is sparking an interest in reading for children through a wonderful organization called Kids Read Now! About Kids Read Now Kids Read Now changes the lives of thousands of children around the United States each year by giving back to schools and the kids. They empower children through four essential pillars: choice, challenges, rewards, and parental engagement. These pillars helped create a successful summer reading program that spark a passion for reading that can be nurtured within their local communities. Kids Read Now's vision is to help eliminate the summer reading slide and encourage more early childhood reading. Last year they served over 38,000 kids from 82 school districts in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and New York, and every summer they send out about 5,000 books per week! Their goal is to reach 40,000-50,000 kids next year. Nearly 90% of educators who have used Kids Read Now would recommend this program to other school districts. The Importance of Early Childhood Reading Early childhood reading is a very important time in a child’s life. K-3 is one of the most crucial times for a child to keep up with their reading education. Over 75% of disadvantaged children in the United States do not have the reading skills they need to enter fourth grade. The summer reading slide is responsible for over 65% of the learning gap between different economic societies, and Kids Read Now helps by giving those children the opportunity to gain needed literary skills through reading. These books help develop a child’s literature skills by encouraging creative thinking, improving vocabulary skills, and bringing communities together around the importance of early reading. "Poor, minority, male students a year or more behind at this point have a 50% likelihood of dropping out, 40% will serve jail time, and only 24% will ever earn more than minimum wage." ~ Leib Lurie, Founder Kids Read Now Mission Kids Read Now's four major areas of focus help create a successful summer reading program for children and parents: Choice: Each child from grades K-3 gets to choose from a list of 150 books and pick nine books they want to be sent to them. Three books are sent at the end of the school year, and throughout the summer as they report on a book, a new book from their list is sent to them! Each child from grades K-3 gets to choose from a list of 150 books and pick nine books they want to be sent to them. Three books are sent at the end of the school year, and throughout the summer as they report on a book, a new book from their list is sent to them! Challenge: Discovery questions are printed on stickers that are placed inside each book, and each book has its own list of questions written by the founder of Kids Read Now, Barb Lurie. After reading the first three books, the kids can answer the four questions. The questions prompt kids to consider the following concepts: 1. Text to text (what they read) 2. Text to self (how does what they read apply to them?) 3. Text to world (how does what they read apply to today’s world?) 4. Question to spark creativity Kids get to keep the books they read to help build their own home library! Once they have read and answered at least one of the discovery questions they report in a predetermined book code by text, email, phone, or via the app. Once the code is reported, the next book is automatically sent to their home. This keeps a steady flow of new reading material throughout the summer months. Reward: Kids Read Now loves to encourage reading skills through enjoyment and pride. After finishing each book and answering the questions, not only does receiving another book reward each child, but they also receive a certificate of completion at the beginning of the next school year. There is also an option for the schools to offer a prize to the students, or to earn books for their school libraries! Parental Engagement: Kids Read Now helps keep parents engaged with their child's reading progress by contacting them every month to see how their child is coming along. Each parent is invited to a family reading night as well, where they receive a parent guide containing everything they need to know about Kids Read Now and the summer reading program. 94% of parents say they would recommend the program to other parents! Kids Read Now and Platypus Media We are always on the lookout for ways we can support early childhood education and literacy efforts all around the world, and we were thrilled to support Kids Read Now with our Bilingual Nurtured and Nuzzled Book Set, which provides children with the chance to develop bilingual literary skills and help encourage more reading throughout their education. About Bonnie Lurie, Logistics Director of Kids Read Now Bonnie Lurie is the logistics director of the nonprofit organization Kids Read Now. Bonnie is the daughter-in-law of Kids Read Now Co-founders Barb and Leib Lurie. Wanting to make a difference in the world, Bonnie began her career at Kids Read Now in Troy, Ohio in 2015. Kids Read Now was founded in 2012 with just 60 books that catered to grade 1-3 and a mission to empower students and families to make good reading choices through challenges, rewards, and parental engagement. Bonnie and the rest of the Kids Read Now team work hard to make a difference in a child’s life. Along with dedication and support from local organizations, they have made amazing strides in their journey to support local schools and children in reading!

February is Black History Month, and we are celebrating by honoring some midwives and doulas who changed the face of Black breastfeeding and had an impact on the world that is still felt today. History of Black Breastfeeding In the early 20th century midwives and doulas provided care for both Black and White mothers, primarily in the southern states, such as Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina, in a time when breastfeeding was not always seen as the norm within Black communities. Because breastfeeding wasn't prevalent in Black culture, mothers and grandmothers never really spoke about breastfeeding to their daughters, and midwives and doulas were seen as healers that held the spiritual and cultural knowledge on how to birth and feed newborn infants that was passed down through generations. Trailblazing Black Midwives and Doulas Margaret Charles Smith Margaret Charles Smith was a Black midwife in rural Alabama in the 1900s. Born in 1906 Smith delivered her first baby when she was only five years old, helping her cousin’s wife give birth when he left to go retrieve the midwife. She continued to learn about midwifery all through grade school. It was hard to earn money in rural Alabama as a midwife, as mothers could not always afford to pay, but she continued her work because of her love of helping others. Smith would even travel 200 miles to Tuskegee’s Andrew Memorial Hospital (one of the first hospitals ever to admit Black patients) if one of her patients needed emergency treatment. Smith was awarded the keys to her town of Eutaw, Alabama in 1983 for all of the amazing work that she did as a midwife. Along with midwifery, Smith also loved farming and she continued to farm all the way up until her death in 2004. Ms. Arilla Smiley One of the last living Granny Midwives in Georgia, Ms. Arilla Smiley followed in the midwife footsteps of her mother Georgia Williams and her grandmother Katie Jones, becoming a midwife herself in 1963. Smiley says she was called by God to become a midwife, and during her time in Mitchell County she delivered 1000 babies! Smiley was trained by the local health department in Brunswick, Georgia and apprenticed under her mother-in-law Beatrice Borders. She retired from midwifery in 1987. "I was called to be a midwife by God. Ms. Bea just took me along with her. If I got concerned about a birth, I’d go to quiet room and pray. You know, you have to talk to God like he’s your friend, that’s how you pray. I’d tell him, now You the One who called me to serve, I didn’t come asking, so I need your help. And He would make things alright, you’ve got to take God with you." - Arilla Smiley Maude Callen Maude Callen was an African American nurse and midwife born in 1898 in Quincy, Florida. She had 12 sisters and was orphaned at the age of six, after which she was raised by her uncle Dr. William J. Gunn who was a physician in Tallahassee. Callen completed her nursing course at Tuskegee Institute In Alabama in 1922. She then moved to South Carolina in 1923 where she began her practice as a nurse and midwife. She operated mainly out of her home and provided in home services to families up to 400 miles away. Callen delivered over 600 babies in her 60 years of practice. There is a famous photo taken by journalist W. Eugene Smith that shows Callen holding a baby she just delivered. The photo helped raise awareness of the value of nursing and midwifery. It sparked over $20,000 in donations to help open the Maude E. Callen clinic in 1953 which Callen ran up until her retirement in 1971. She was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame and was presented the Order of the Palmetto by the Governor Richard W Riley. Callen dedicated her life to helping women and mothers all the way up until her death in 1990. Mary Coley Born in 1900, Mary Coley was one of the last generations of Granny Midwives. She was born in Baker County, Georgia where she began her training as a midwife under Onnie Lee Logan. Callen became an advocate for the health of Georgia's Black population, and was known for her work with a woman regardless of race. Alongside her duties as a midwife, Coley offered services to families such as cooking, cleaning, childminding, laundering, and helping new parents file official forms and birth certificates. “Miss Mary”, as her patients called her, delivered over 3000 babies for three decades up until her death in 1966. She was an important and influential healer, advocate for healthy babies, and a  liaison between the healthcare system and the Black community. The Black Breastfeeding Community Today Black women have the lowest breastfeeding initiation rates (around 64%) and the shortest breastfeeding duration (roughly 6 weeks) of all ethnic groups. The CDC states that Black women struggle to breastfeed successfully because they return earlier to work, receive less information about breastfeeding from their health-care providers, and have less access to professional support. Black breastfeeding rates are climbing today due to Black breastfeeding campaigns and resources in the Black community that provide support and information on breastfeeding. Here are some of these resources: Black Women Do Breastfeeding Blog- is a blog that allows women to write stories about their breastfeeding journeys. They give support and a list of helpful resources that help support Black breastfeeding. African American Breastfeeding Network- is a nonprofit organization whose mission is "to address breastfeeding  disparities by increasing awareness of the benefits and value of mother’s milk, building community allies, and de-normalizing formula use." Their vision is to live in a world where breastfeeding is the norm in African American communities. Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association- is a nonprofit organization with a mission "to reduce racial inequities in breastfeeding support for Black families." They provide many helpful resources including lactation classes, informational conferences, and even a community-based doula program that provides mothers from Detroit with peer support throughout their pregnancy, during birth, and the early post-partum period. National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color- is a nonprofit organization focused on cultivating"a community of diverse professional and peer lactation supporters to transform communities of color through policy, breastfeeding, and skilled lactation care." Their executive board are all board certified lactation specialists that hold informational conferences to help inform and raise awareness for breastfeeding and lactation care. The most important thing to remember about breastfeeding, regardless of your ethnicity, is that you are not alone. By sticking together and telling our stories we can help spread breastfeeding awareness and build strong communities of support!

Breastfeeding can be challenging for new moms. We know it’s the best choice for our babies, and we know it’s natural, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Mammals of all sorts have been coping with different struggles to rear their young on mother’s milk for hundreds of years, so as humans we're not alone! From bats to zebras, many mammals breastfeeding their young. What can we learn from mammals' breastfeeding habits? Maybe the best lesson we learn is that while breastfeeding has its challenges, it’s a defining characteristic of what it means to be a mammal. New Polar Bear Moms Fast for Months Do you know that gnawing, never ending hunger you have while breastfeeding? Many breastfeeding mamas report a constant hunger that they’re never able to satisfy. This makes sense, because your child is drawing nutrition from your body! Pregnancy may be over, but you’re still, quite literally, eating for two. Did you know breastfeeding can burn up to 1000 extra calories each day? Plus, while breastfeeding (and sleeping irregularly), your body produces the hormone Prolactin, which causes increased levels of hunger. Now, imagine breastfeeding without eating anything for months. This is the reality for polar bear moms, who fast for up to eight months while they care for their cubs. While pregnant, a polar bear digs a “maternity den” under the snow where she gives birth and keeps her cubs for the first few months of their life. Cubs are born tiny and hairless, and the body heat of the animals inside of the small enclosed space helps keep the newborns warm. In order to keep the den sealed and the heat inside, the mother polar bear does not eat until her cubs are strong enough to leave the den and make the long journey to the sea ice, where mom kills a seal and finally eats. Naked Mole Rats Produce Giant Litters Here’s a rule of thumb you may not know: you can typically tell how many young are in a given species’ litter by counting their nipples and dividing by two. Humans have two nipples and typically one baby per pregnancy. This ensures there’s always enough milk to go around. However, this isn’t true across the board. Naked mole rats have 10 nipples, but have been known to have up to 33 babies in a single litter. Without enough nipples to go around, naked mole rat moms must be constantly nursing a handful of their young! If you feel like you’re constantly nursing, just imagine how much worse it’d be with 30+ newborns! Blue Whale Babies Grow Eight Pounds an Hour For the first seven months of their lives, blue whale calves will consume 100-150 gallons of milk each day! Aren’t you glad you don’t have to match that demand? Of course, blue whales are the world’s largest mammals. Newborn blue whale calves are 23 feet long (that’s the length of two minivans laid end-to-end), and weigh the same as an adult elephant. For the first few weeks of life they put on eight pounds an hour. The mother’s mammary glands are nearly 5 feet long and weigh almost 250 pounds each. To preserve their sleek, aqua-dynamic shape, mama whales' nipples are hidden in layers of blubber.  When babies nuzzle against the blubber, milk squirts out for them to enjoy. Orangutans Nurse for Many Years The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years or more, which may seem like an eternity for moms who are struggling to find their breastfeeding groove. Although nursing can feel magical when everything clicks into place, chapped nipples and clogged milk ducts are enough to make moms feel like weaning can’t come soon enough. Incredibly, some mammal moms nurse for four times as long! Orangutans, the largest type of ape, spend the longest amount of time breastfeeding and caring for their young. It’s not uncommon for an 8-year-old orangutan to continue to nurse. Lions Share Breastfeeding Responsibilities Most mammals only nurse from their own mothers.  One exception is the lion.  Since lions live in prides they are all close blood relatives and emotionally attached.  Lionesses will nurse any of the cubs in the pride regardless of whether she gave birth to the little one. Can you imagine asking your neighbor to nurse your child while you run to the store? Hooded Seals Only Nurse for a Few Days Hooded seals have the shortest breastfeeding journey of only around four days.  Because seals have to nurse out of the water, they rely on dangerous floating ice as their lactation room.  The ice is unstable so childhood lasts for less than a week before these pups are on their own. Even though breastfeeding can be trying at times, at least humans get to enjoy this amazing bonding experience for more than four days! What do you make of these mammal lactation facts? Are you glad to have breastfeeding behind you or would you want to nurse for 8 years? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

January 9th is National Word Nerd Day! As official 'word nerds' ourselves, we want to celebrate by talking about fun and interesting ways to build your child's vocabulary. Children are constantly learning about the world around them by observing and absorbing what they experience, see, and hear. Building a strong vocabulary is an integral part of a young child's development, and they learn a lot about words from the adults around them. Talking to and reading with your child are two terrific ways to help them learn, absorb, and understand new words. Conversations and questions about interesting words ("The book says, 'The dog bounded up the street', now look at the picture! How do you think the dog went up the street?") are fun and accessible ways to integrate new words into everyday conversations. Ways to Grow Your Child's Vocabulary Slow and Steady: Be selective about which words you choose to talk about — talking about every new word could make reading seem like a chore. Words to explore early on with your child are ones that are commonly found in conversations, but are less common in books. University of Michigan Education Professor Nell Duke calls this the "Goldilocks Principle" - not too many words at a time and not too few! Visualize New Words: Help your child picture what new words mean. For nouns, show your child a picture of it online, in a book, or magazine. If the word is an adjective, find things that can be described using the word. For example, if you come across the word “cuddly,” point out the softness of a stuffed animal. Ask your child to come up with other ways to describe the stuffed animal as well. A fun way to learn new verbs is to act them out together! Read Daily: Books are the best way to expose kids to a richer vocabulary. Even with kids who are too young to read themselves, reading to them as frequently as possible contributes a lot to a child's budding vocabulary. If you come to an unfamiliar word while reading, give your child a brief kid-friendly definition and continue reading. Don't pause and talk about whether or not your child knows the word, simply provide the definition and move on so reading stays fun and engaging. You can always go back through the book when you finish reading the story and talk more about the new word and its meaning. Explore the New Words Around You: Help your child build a bigger vocabulary by going new places and exposing different ideas. Visit your local aquarium, zoo, or museum and ask your child describe new objects and experiences. When stuck on describing something new, prompt your child to use context clues. Ask questions to challenge them even more. Instead of telling them what something is, ask what sound does it make? or what does it eat? Make everyday errands more fun by challenging each other to learn new words along the way. See It, Say It, Write It: In order to fully learn a new vocabulary word, your child needs to be able to read it, say it, and write it. When you come across an unfamiliar word while reading, explain to your young one how to pronounce it and then sound it through together. Similarly, if your child hears a new word during the course of conversation that is unfamiliar, writing it down and spelling it out helps your child grow their vocabulary and build reading skills! What are some of the way you share new words with your child? Share them in the comments!

Reading is one of the most important parts of a young child's life. Access to a variety of informational books that discuss breastfeeding and attachment parenting gives a child the opportunity to learn and explore breastfeeding and family bonding in new and interesting ways! Books about breastfeeding and families can be very helpful to your young ones when trying to explain to them the beautiful and natural process of breastfeeding. By creating a breastfeeding and family packed library for your kids at home, you will encourage them to find new ways of interpreting their own world. Here at Platypus Media we love giving families the opportunity to come together and create fun-loving educational experiences. We put together a list of books that your young ones can enjoy at home in your own growing breastfeeding/family library! Babies Nurse Babies Nurse is one of our most popular books, and it introduces young children to breastfeeding through stunning illustrations and information about how different species (including humans!) nurse their young. Babies Nurse is a Winner of the Parents Favorite Product Award, and gives a glimpse into the world of 13 mammal babies and their mothers. This book inspires conversations about parenting, biology, habits, survival, and more. This is the perfect book to read to very young children as well as elementary school/new readers to delight in the beauty of breastfeeding. Cuddled and Carried Cuddled and Carried introduces young children to attachment and nurturing in the natural world. This captivating book shows how mammal families raise and nurture their young, whether from snowy dens, warm lagoons, cozy nests, or a living room! This is the perfect book to introduce young readers to the variety of ways mammal mothers tend to their babies. It fosters empathy and kindness in your young child by telling the story of mothers lending a paw, wing, flipper, or hand to care for their young. If My Mom Were a Platypus If My Mom Were a Platypus takes you and your child all over the world to habitats where mammal mothers bring forth new life. Many young mammals need their mothers when they are young, and are nurtured and nourished until they can survive on their own. Explore the natural process of breastfeeding for 14 different mammals navigating the path from helpless infant to self-sufficient adult. The beautiful illustrations and informative text make this the perfect book to spark conversations about families of all shapes and sizes! We also just launched the Spanish edition of If My Mom Were a Platypus in January 2019. Looking for more resources and ideas? Be sure to checkout the Resources tab on our website! What are some of your favorites books on breastfeeding? Share them in the comments below!

2018 is coming to an end, and what a year is was! We would like to ring in the New Year by sharing some of the amazing things that happened here at Platypus Media over the past 12 months. Out and About We attended several conferences and other events, and our own Dia Michels debuted some new talks! Dia spoke frequently to promote her love and support for attachment parenting and breastfeeding at universities, libraries, and conferences around the country, including Gold Lactation, the Child Health Education and Care Summit, BreastfeedLA, and National WIC. You can read about some of Dia's popular talks here. We have even more exciting conferences and events to attend in 2019! Want to come see us when we're out and about? Check out where we'll be on our 'Come See Us' page! Breastfeeding and Parenting Resources Demonstrating our continued commitment to breastfeeding, we designed a free downloadable Breastfeeding Module that identifies strategies parents, librarians, educators, health care providers, and community members can use to educate children about breastfeeding. We're Growing! We hired some amazing interns and added some new staff and a social media manager to help with all our exciting projects coming in 2019! We learned a LOT about how different mammals breastfeed and raise their children, and we even started a new blog! Our new Children's Books This year we launched two new children's books: Babies Nurse and Cuddled and Carried. These two early childhood books from our Beginnings Collection are filled with captivating illustrations and information about the many ways animal mothers care for their babies. These books demonstrate a wide range of habitats and healthy relationships in the natural world. The elegant text and educational back matter help parents and educators adopt new ways of introducing children to attachment, nurturing, the animal kingdom, breastfeeding, and early science concepts. Fun with Our Community This year was a great year for getting out to our communities and sharing all of our amazing experiences and books! We met so many of you who share our mission and enjoy our books and resources. 2018 was a year chock full of adventures and experiences for the staff here at Platypus Media. We went all around the country to festivals and expos to introduce our books to families, educators, and book lovers. We love getting out there and sharing our love and dedication to breastfeeding and families, and we have many upcoming opportunities to continue to make a difference in 2019! What are some of your favorite memories from 2018? Share them in the comments! We wish everyone a very Happy New Year!