Jul 27, 2010 0
Bouquet Project
Before the 1900′s in the USA, birth was “womens work”. Women would come together, family and neighbors to assist the expectant mother in housework, meals, etc. When a mother went into labor, her husband would gather all the women he could to come and assist, support, and comfort the mother. Midwives were used all the time. Their training was handed down from Midwife to Midwife. After the birth, the new mother and her husband would hold “grunting” parties to say thank you. Depending on the financial status of the family, these parties were lavish. It wasn’t until the first GYN doctor came on the scene in the mid 1900′s that the perception of birth began to change and it rapidly became a medical procedure. Midwives were not used as much and it almost became an obsolete practice.
Today there is a lot of isolation and lack of support during pregnancy, birth, and in the post partum stage. In the age of information one can read as much as possible on birth, raising children, etc. What’s missing is the human connection for some women depending on their circumstance, and even the country they live in.
The Bouquet Project – in the spirit of “womens work” from the 1900s and eariler, is an effort to embrace new moms here on Smartbirth and celebrate not only the birth of a baby, but more importantly to celebrate the nother, showering her with support and friendship and mutal delight in what she has accomplished. It is also a place to provide support in the days that follow.
There are some simple rules to follow though. Here they are:1. Support should come from you and what you have experienced personally. Discussions that start out with “my doctor said….”etc., will not help a new mom. First of all we all have different doctors, or caregivers, and we all have different medical histories . If there is a medical concern or question, it should be directed to a member’s personal physician.
2. No medical bashing, gossip, or anything like that here. This is a place of pure celebration of a new mom and an online support system of a circle of women coming together for each other.
The outcome will be a sense of connection with other women that will build strength, confidence, and reassurance regardless of the bith experiece, which will stay with a new mom even when she is off line. The emotional support gained here will help a new mother, no matter first baby or more, to move into the role of mother and parenting, to help her cope more easily and to help ward off the post partum blues that so many women experience.
Here’s what you do. As I here of a new mom just having her baby, or maybe you know of one on Smartbirth, we celebrate her her by writing well wishes and sending her flowers. This you can do by just posing an image of flowers here. Begin the dialog of supportive “womans work” share in the celebration of a wonderful life event.
Welcome 
