I thought several times during November how it was ironic that I was reading through the fruits of other people's daily posting regime while almost totally neglecting my own posts. It got me to think about why I've fallen off in the posting, a trend which has continued well into December.
I do WANT to post! I like writing and being part of a great community and talking about this stuff. I don't want this blog to go dormant long-term. But I've also never been a super-disciplined blogger in the sense that I set goals for viewership or try to earn something from this (ha!) or even necessarily have a specific goal for the things I'm writing. When I first started blogging, my main goals were to 1) get all the birth-y stuff off my private blog and into the world where they could stop annoying the friends who didn't want to read it (but allow the friends who did to follow me and get to learn more about my experiences with the birth-y world) and 2) to have a dedicated place to think about maternal and child health/public health/doula stuff as I started grad school for my MPH.
Now I'm in a different place and sometimes it gives me a mini-crisis of conscience about this blog (not to mention my career path). I am no longer in school or even necessarily in public health at the moment. I work full-time as a lactation consultant where my job is very clinically focused. I am involved with research projects on the side and am trying to shoehorn more of that into my job, but it's not actually in the job description. In the meantime, with a full-time job I have definitely cut back the doula side of my life.
When I come up with ideas for posts, they tend to be sparked by the stuff I'm working on at the moment, so right now that is breastfeeding, breastfeeding, breastfeeding. Which is certainly a topic I've always covered on this blog (and was a passion of mine before I became a doula) but I look at the title of my blog and think "Hmm, it says Public Health Doula, not Clinical Lactation Consultant". It might sounds a little silly to try to stick to a title I chose on the spur of the moment over three (!) years ago, but I want to maintain a diversity of blog posts not just because it's what I originally intended to do with this blog, but what I originally intended to do with my life. I LOVE being a lactation consultant and doing clinical work, and right now as a newbie I am learning a huge amount about hands-on support, but I do want to end up in a public health-oriented direction and want to keep my hand in that (thus all the research projects on the side.)
Finally, it's complicated (as many doula and other health care professionals know) to maintain confidentiality (both for HIPAA and for my own ethical considerations); I composite and change details and all that good stuff, but that's a lot harder than just being able to tell the story of the class discussion I had yesterday.
All that is to say, the things that I used to do that sparked more diverse blog posts are less a part of my life now; and the things I DO do, I tend to second-guess posting about.
However, I think the hiatus has given me a little more fuel for the writing fire. I've seen some neat public health breastfeeding- and birth-related stuff recently and gotten very interested in writing about some issues from a public health perspective (co-sleeping, anyone?) There's also definitely a big post o' links coming from my starred items in Google Reader. (Still waiting for a Reader replacement...)
I am also piloting a shared-call arrangement with two other doulas to be able to keep attending births while working and am super, super excited to be able to consistently take doula clients (even if it's not many) for the foreseeable future. Hopefully that will get my doula thoughts going too!
So, that's my life-via-blogging update. I know the holidays aren't going to exactly focus my thoughts on new posts (more like focus on cookies...mmm, cookies), but I'm thinking there will be more to come in the new year.
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
RIP Google Reader
I take a break from my (ir)regularly scheduled programming of birth & breastfeeding to go a little meta and lament the major changes coming to Google Reader. I know, what a nerd, right? But I am fairly Reader-dependent (ahem, addicted) and what I read, think about, and blog about is largely fueled by the blogs that come through my Reader.
One of my favorite things is the ability in Reader to follow, share, and comment on posts with others. Some of them are birth-y people, a lot of them are not. Some of the latter have said to me "I learn a lot from the things you share, they're um...real different from everybody else's!" I feel the same way about their shares. Some of it is adorable baby animals, some of it is urban planning or video games or meteorology. Sometimes it overlaps with my blog-reading areas of interest in surprising ways. Some of it, from the birth-y people, is birth-y stuff and I learn about blogs or topics I may not have been closely following. I enjoy the comments and interactions I have with other people - it's a nice mini-social network and so simply and seamlessly integrated into Reader. If I remember seeing something, or am trying to find a bunch of relevant posts on a topic, I can easily search the blogs I read AND the shared items back in time (search "cord clamping" for example).
I like Google Reader so much I created a bundle of my favorite Reader feeds to encourage people to use it. I always recommend Reader to people as a way to start following more blogs more easily.
However, in what seems to be an attempt to push people into using Google+, Google is going to cut a lot of the social functions from Reader and make them only available in G+:
Yes... a week. As another blogger put it:
Check, check, check. All exactly how I feel about this (right down to the part where I heard about this via a share). I am not interested in logging into Google+ to create groups to follow/share with, and I don't want the people who might follow me on Google+ to necessarily see my Reader shares. I'm not really interested in logging into Google+ at all - and this change will not make me any more likely to. Instead, I'm now searching (so far in vain) for a feed reader that will have the same social functions that Google Reader is getting rid of, WITHOUT forcing me to log into a separate social network. Poorly done, Google!
If anyone out there has reader suggestions, let me know...
One of my favorite things is the ability in Reader to follow, share, and comment on posts with others. Some of them are birth-y people, a lot of them are not. Some of the latter have said to me "I learn a lot from the things you share, they're um...real different from everybody else's!" I feel the same way about their shares. Some of it is adorable baby animals, some of it is urban planning or video games or meteorology. Sometimes it overlaps with my blog-reading areas of interest in surprising ways. Some of it, from the birth-y people, is birth-y stuff and I learn about blogs or topics I may not have been closely following. I enjoy the comments and interactions I have with other people - it's a nice mini-social network and so simply and seamlessly integrated into Reader. If I remember seeing something, or am trying to find a bunch of relevant posts on a topic, I can easily search the blogs I read AND the shared items back in time (search "cord clamping" for example).
I like Google Reader so much I created a bundle of my favorite Reader feeds to encourage people to use it. I always recommend Reader to people as a way to start following more blogs more easily.
However, in what seems to be an attempt to push people into using Google+, Google is going to cut a lot of the social functions from Reader and make them only available in G+:
we’re going to bring Reader and Google+ closer together, so you can share the best of your feeds with just the right circles.
As a result of these changes, we also think it's important to clean things up a bit. Many of Reader's social features will soon be available via Google+, so in a week's time we'll be retiring things like friending, following and shared link blogs inside of Reader.
Yes... a week. As another blogger put it:
after thinking about just how much I use Google Reader every day, I’m beginning to revise my initial forecast. Stay calm is quickly shifting toward full-bore Panic Mode.
First of all, how do you think I found Sarah’s piece? From a share in Google Reader. How did I easily and quickly archive both Austin’s and Sarah’s posts so that I could access them in the future for a post like this one? Again, Google Reader. How can I quickly search a variety of excellent sources, or dig back through my own writing in a quick and efficient manner? Yeah, you guessed it. As Sarah notes, Reader is a “carefully constructed “human curated” list of shares. It is, and will be up until the day it disappears, one of the most regular and enjoyable news consumption behaviors I engage in every day.”
Check, check, check. All exactly how I feel about this (right down to the part where I heard about this via a share). I am not interested in logging into Google+ to create groups to follow/share with, and I don't want the people who might follow me on Google+ to necessarily see my Reader shares. I'm not really interested in logging into Google+ at all - and this change will not make me any more likely to. Instead, I'm now searching (so far in vain) for a feed reader that will have the same social functions that Google Reader is getting rid of, WITHOUT forcing me to log into a separate social network. Poorly done, Google!
If anyone out there has reader suggestions, let me know...
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Becoming a better doula...through the power of the INTERNET!
When I first became a doula, I didn't know about many online resources for doulas; I don't know if they were even very common at that point. In terms of my continuing education as a doula, I learned from books, talking with doulas, midwives, and nurses, and of course hands-on from attending births! After taking a couple years' break from serious doula-ing, though, I was getting back into it, looking for more resources, and found a number of doula-related sites and listservs. Then I started reading blogs and discovered an even bigger world of blogs and resources.
In-person networking and sharing are still important, but I have learned so much from online resources that I almost think joining a single doula forum or listserv, at the very least, should be a requirement for being a doula. I am often surprised, in fact, by how little some doulas know about topics that I have seen extensively discussed in various online settings. We have a responsibility to ourselves and our clients to stay current with changes in maternity care practices, new research, and current events in the birth-o-sphere. So much of that is easily available online. And practicing solo, sometimes in hostile or isolated settings, can make it very difficult to generate the kind of community and collegial settings where doulas can share information and learn from each other. I have learned so much, and deepened my thinking, from reading information and debates on testing, interventions, informed consent, the doula's role, and more by participating in listservs and through the many great blogs by doulas, midwives, nurses, and other people interested in and passionate about birth.
That isn't to say every doula should become a blog junkie like me, though! Simply joining your local doula listserv often sends news items and discussion through your inbox, as well as connecting you to the local birth network. Usually those listservs will have "digest" settings so you can get all the messages sent each day packaged together in one e-mail. (I am already drowning in e-mail, so I set all listservs to arrive as digests or my inbox would be out of control!) If you don't have a good local listserv, I recommend Alldoulas.com where you can both connect with local people and interact with doulas from all over the world. I don't go on there very often, but the forums have been friendly, helpful, and a great resource for me when I needed them.
If you DO want to become a blog junkie like me (or just find a few good blogs to follow), I've created a "bundle" of my favorite blogs for those of you who use Google Reader. Click here to easily see and subscribe to all or some.
I should also say that I have also benefited hugely from the online resources available for communication among IBCLCs, specifically Lactnet. Reading about puzzling or complicated cases, the different takes of LCs from around the world on those cases or on issues of ethics and professional responsibility, and learning new tips and tricks has been fantastic and so educational. I sometimes see advice or techniques for situations I've encountered, and I print out them out and keep them on my clipboard at work in case I need them. (For example, I recently had great success with advice for how best to use reverse pressure softening with a very edematous mother.) As a new IBCLC, I know I have a huge amount left to learn and reading Lactnet is like getting to peer over the shoulder of more experienced LCs as they think and work with moms/babies.
What are your favorite doula/birthworker online supports or resources?
In-person networking and sharing are still important, but I have learned so much from online resources that I almost think joining a single doula forum or listserv, at the very least, should be a requirement for being a doula. I am often surprised, in fact, by how little some doulas know about topics that I have seen extensively discussed in various online settings. We have a responsibility to ourselves and our clients to stay current with changes in maternity care practices, new research, and current events in the birth-o-sphere. So much of that is easily available online. And practicing solo, sometimes in hostile or isolated settings, can make it very difficult to generate the kind of community and collegial settings where doulas can share information and learn from each other. I have learned so much, and deepened my thinking, from reading information and debates on testing, interventions, informed consent, the doula's role, and more by participating in listservs and through the many great blogs by doulas, midwives, nurses, and other people interested in and passionate about birth.
That isn't to say every doula should become a blog junkie like me, though! Simply joining your local doula listserv often sends news items and discussion through your inbox, as well as connecting you to the local birth network. Usually those listservs will have "digest" settings so you can get all the messages sent each day packaged together in one e-mail. (I am already drowning in e-mail, so I set all listservs to arrive as digests or my inbox would be out of control!) If you don't have a good local listserv, I recommend Alldoulas.com where you can both connect with local people and interact with doulas from all over the world. I don't go on there very often, but the forums have been friendly, helpful, and a great resource for me when I needed them.
If you DO want to become a blog junkie like me (or just find a few good blogs to follow), I've created a "bundle" of my favorite blogs for those of you who use Google Reader. Click here to easily see and subscribe to all or some.
I should also say that I have also benefited hugely from the online resources available for communication among IBCLCs, specifically Lactnet. Reading about puzzling or complicated cases, the different takes of LCs from around the world on those cases or on issues of ethics and professional responsibility, and learning new tips and tricks has been fantastic and so educational. I sometimes see advice or techniques for situations I've encountered, and I print out them out and keep them on my clipboard at work in case I need them. (For example, I recently had great success with advice for how best to use reverse pressure softening with a very edematous mother.) As a new IBCLC, I know I have a huge amount left to learn and reading Lactnet is like getting to peer over the shoulder of more experienced LCs as they think and work with moms/babies.
What are your favorite doula/birthworker online supports or resources?
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Upcoming plans
So last year, I gave up Facebook for Lent, deciding I was letting it suck too much of my time. It was a surprisingly scary thing to do at the beginning! I really, honestly found myself getting kind of anxious when the time came to log out for the last time. And then...yeah, it was totally fine. I kind of forgot it existed, and when the time came for me to get back on I would go days before remembering to log in again. It was nice!
Of course, since then my usage has crept up again and realizing Lent was coming up, I thought about it and decided to take another Facebook break this year. Along with an even scarier one... blog reading. I do love Google Reader... maybe a little too much. I find myself spending hours consuming and clicking and reading and thinking, which is all well and good, but can spiral into way too much time, and in the meantime I'll "star" a dozen more to go back and read in more depth, or as inspiration for a post of my own, etcetera and those just pile up. The productivity scale goes way down the farther I get sucked in. You all know how it is, right? This just seemed like a good opportunity to give it a break and see what else I can do with that time.
So if I'm a regular commenter on your blog and am quiet for the next, oh, 40 days or so - you have your explanation! And while I am giving up blog reading, I'm not giving up blog writing and in fact hoping that this break gives me more time to work on posts I've been letting sit for a long time. Hopefully you'll see a little more content here!
In non-Internet-related news (although hopefully a post-generating activity) I will be going to the Breastfeeding and Feminism/CIMS conference this Friday and Saturday. Very excited! Anyone else planning to go?
I am still thinking about attending the CLPP Reproductive Justice conference in April. I am really hoping to be able to go. I can't say enough good things about this conference - each time I've gone has been a fantastic experience. If I make it, I'll definitely be posting here about it!
That's all for tonight...just posted my Facebook farewell and am ready to begin my Internet fast!
Of course, since then my usage has crept up again and realizing Lent was coming up, I thought about it and decided to take another Facebook break this year. Along with an even scarier one... blog reading. I do love Google Reader... maybe a little too much. I find myself spending hours consuming and clicking and reading and thinking, which is all well and good, but can spiral into way too much time, and in the meantime I'll "star" a dozen more to go back and read in more depth, or as inspiration for a post of my own, etcetera and those just pile up. The productivity scale goes way down the farther I get sucked in. You all know how it is, right? This just seemed like a good opportunity to give it a break and see what else I can do with that time.
So if I'm a regular commenter on your blog and am quiet for the next, oh, 40 days or so - you have your explanation! And while I am giving up blog reading, I'm not giving up blog writing and in fact hoping that this break gives me more time to work on posts I've been letting sit for a long time. Hopefully you'll see a little more content here!
In non-Internet-related news (although hopefully a post-generating activity) I will be going to the Breastfeeding and Feminism/CIMS conference this Friday and Saturday. Very excited! Anyone else planning to go?
I am still thinking about attending the CLPP Reproductive Justice conference in April. I am really hoping to be able to go. I can't say enough good things about this conference - each time I've gone has been a fantastic experience. If I make it, I'll definitely be posting here about it!
That's all for tonight...just posted my Facebook farewell and am ready to begin my Internet fast!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Public Health Doula, MPH
Family and friends and celebrations have come and gone, graduation is over, and I can now say that I officially have a Master's of Public Health!
To be honest, it feels a bit anti-climactic - my last semester was busy, but mostly with things besides academic work, particularly once my thesis was done at the beginning of April. Unlike the end of my undergrad degree, which was a relieved crossing-the-finish-line feeling, my graduate commencement was more of a "oh, hi finish line, I knew you'd be around here somewhere" feeling.
Still, I am happy and proud of my shiny new graduate degree, and I'm hoping to put it to good use in the near future...whatever form that takes. In the meantime, I want to take a moment to appreciate how much writing this blog, and reading/connecting with other blogs has been an amazing education in and of itself over the past two years. It's filled in some of the spaces a public health education doesn't address, when it comes to my own particular interests. I've learned how to monitor the heck out of a program in my MPH education, but I didn't have many opportunities to debate the nature of informed consent, hear stories from women who felt judged for formula feeding, or gauge how public health recommendations look to, and are interpreted by, the outside world.
I've also valued the opportunity to connect with like-minded people around the country and around the world. The issues of sex, reproduction, reproductive health, abortion, pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, our agency as women over our own bodies...these are complex issues with many layers of thinking and learning to work through as we talk about them. Sometimes it feels frustrating to feel like you're starting over at "101" level every time you try to discuss them with someone new. I have been so lucky to find people who are already thinking about these issues and their interconnections, and can not just meet me where I'm at but push me further.
It's also deeply enriched my doula practice. I learn about new topics, techniques, research, and ways of thinking about and conveying information to others. More and more frequently, I find myself referring clients and friends to blogs and to blog posts for questions like understanding rising c-section rates or writing a birth plan. Sometimes I think the blog world should be required reading for new doulas (and other birth professionals!) It expands my worldview beyond what I just learn/hear in my training or from other people locally, and helps me contextualize doula practice in the bigger picture of birth issues and activism.
Finally, I have loved building a small but growing community of readers for my blog. Posting about wondering where to find doula clients and having so many wonderful and generous suggestions was such a help for me, and a boost to my confidence. I am so grateful to all of you who commented on that post, and to all of the readers and commenters out there!
I'm not sure what's next for me as a doula and a newly-minted MPH, but I'm excited to be starting work half-time next week at the hospital where I've been training to be an LC. They are hiring me temporarily as a "breastfeeding specialist" (since I'm not an LC yet), to do several night shifts of lactation support a week. This will be my first experience doing lactation support in the hospital solo, not to mention my first experience working nights (well, I've stayed up many nights as a doula but this seems a bit different!) I am excited and of course at least a little nervous, and interested to see where this leads.
I'm also not sure what's next for this blog - between graduation and traveling, it seems to be that just like last year, May has been a vacation month from blogging! And while it always seems like there are a dozen posts or news items a day popping up in my blog reader or news alerts that I could link to and talk about, it's seemed harder recently to actually get those into the blog. With a shift in my work and to some extent my focus, my posts may change too - more? less? different topics? We'll see!
I do plan to do a post soon on applying to and choosing an MPH program, since I have had several e-mails about that from readers and I would really like to help people understand more about the degree, what it can do for you, and what you should be thinking about when applying. As always, I am open to other requests for topics! Just comment, or e-mail, and let me know.
In the meantime, I hope you'll keep reading, and commenting, and linking, and e-mailing! Every time I check my subscriber stats, I do a little happy dance that more people are interested in what I have to say (because as anyone who knows me will tell you, I love to talk) and I hope that community keeps growing.
To be honest, it feels a bit anti-climactic - my last semester was busy, but mostly with things besides academic work, particularly once my thesis was done at the beginning of April. Unlike the end of my undergrad degree, which was a relieved crossing-the-finish-line feeling, my graduate commencement was more of a "oh, hi finish line, I knew you'd be around here somewhere" feeling.
Still, I am happy and proud of my shiny new graduate degree, and I'm hoping to put it to good use in the near future...whatever form that takes. In the meantime, I want to take a moment to appreciate how much writing this blog, and reading/connecting with other blogs has been an amazing education in and of itself over the past two years. It's filled in some of the spaces a public health education doesn't address, when it comes to my own particular interests. I've learned how to monitor the heck out of a program in my MPH education, but I didn't have many opportunities to debate the nature of informed consent, hear stories from women who felt judged for formula feeding, or gauge how public health recommendations look to, and are interpreted by, the outside world.
I've also valued the opportunity to connect with like-minded people around the country and around the world. The issues of sex, reproduction, reproductive health, abortion, pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, our agency as women over our own bodies...these are complex issues with many layers of thinking and learning to work through as we talk about them. Sometimes it feels frustrating to feel like you're starting over at "101" level every time you try to discuss them with someone new. I have been so lucky to find people who are already thinking about these issues and their interconnections, and can not just meet me where I'm at but push me further.
It's also deeply enriched my doula practice. I learn about new topics, techniques, research, and ways of thinking about and conveying information to others. More and more frequently, I find myself referring clients and friends to blogs and to blog posts for questions like understanding rising c-section rates or writing a birth plan. Sometimes I think the blog world should be required reading for new doulas (and other birth professionals!) It expands my worldview beyond what I just learn/hear in my training or from other people locally, and helps me contextualize doula practice in the bigger picture of birth issues and activism.
Finally, I have loved building a small but growing community of readers for my blog. Posting about wondering where to find doula clients and having so many wonderful and generous suggestions was such a help for me, and a boost to my confidence. I am so grateful to all of you who commented on that post, and to all of the readers and commenters out there!
I'm not sure what's next for me as a doula and a newly-minted MPH, but I'm excited to be starting work half-time next week at the hospital where I've been training to be an LC. They are hiring me temporarily as a "breastfeeding specialist" (since I'm not an LC yet), to do several night shifts of lactation support a week. This will be my first experience doing lactation support in the hospital solo, not to mention my first experience working nights (well, I've stayed up many nights as a doula but this seems a bit different!) I am excited and of course at least a little nervous, and interested to see where this leads.
I'm also not sure what's next for this blog - between graduation and traveling, it seems to be that just like last year, May has been a vacation month from blogging! And while it always seems like there are a dozen posts or news items a day popping up in my blog reader or news alerts that I could link to and talk about, it's seemed harder recently to actually get those into the blog. With a shift in my work and to some extent my focus, my posts may change too - more? less? different topics? We'll see!
I do plan to do a post soon on applying to and choosing an MPH program, since I have had several e-mails about that from readers and I would really like to help people understand more about the degree, what it can do for you, and what you should be thinking about when applying. As always, I am open to other requests for topics! Just comment, or e-mail, and let me know.
In the meantime, I hope you'll keep reading, and commenting, and linking, and e-mailing! Every time I check my subscriber stats, I do a little happy dance that more people are interested in what I have to say (because as anyone who knows me will tell you, I love to talk) and I hope that community keeps growing.
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