My Labor of Luv

2023 TOP BABY Names released by Social Security Admin
- Calif and National -

See photos for more details, and to see Top 10 most popular names chosen nationally, or go to https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/index.html

Here are the top 10 most popular female names in California last year:

1. Olivia
2. Mia
3. Camila
4. Emma
5. Isabella
6. Sophia
7. Sofia
8. Luna
9. Amelia
10.Gianna

These were the top 10 most popular male names in California last year:

1. Noah
2. Liam
3. Mateo
4. Sebastian
5. Santiago
6. Julian
7. Oliver
8. Benjamin
9. Elijah
10. Ezekiel

Although not the most popular names, trending names in 2023 included Izael, Chozen, Eiden, Cassian and Kyren for boys and Kaeli, Alitzel, Emryn, Adhara and Azari for girls, according to the report.

End of an era. Our local Grunion Gazette newspaper closes it's 2nd St Belmont Shore office. (Stil in operation, but moving to a small office on PCH & Anaheim). Kinda sad, don't you thihk?

A Pinch Of Salt: End of a Second Street era Grunion continues without a hitch.

🤰🤰Yay! I love this article so much! As much as ACOG wants to scare every pregnant woman off, because fear helps to keep line their pockets, more and more women - with hugely successful outcomes - are choosing out-of-hospital births. Articles like this, in mainstream publications, are a long time coming. (Ricki Lake also deserves a lot of credit for her 2008 docu "The Business of Being Born" taking this conversation mainstream.)

Choosing a place that feels safe; having a supportive, nurturing, encouraging team around you; having ability to move around, walk, swivel your hips, be on all fours, relax in water (whatever your body calls you to do); and I'd further argue being educated on the natural process (which is why I taught the Bradley Method for over 10 yrs)... All this leads to positive experiences and outcomes for mama, baby and partner! 💕

For expectant mothers in Long Beach, hospitals aren’t the only option • Long Beach Business Journal Department of Public Health data shows the percentage of births happening outside of hospitals has doubled since 2007.

Ha!

Welcome to NYT Parenting. Here’s Why We Won’t Say ‘Natural Birth.’ It’s imprecise and can make families whose births are deemed not “natural” feel shame.

Get educated, find a birthing team that aligns with your beliefs and wishes, and always listen to your instincts!

Maternal Health Week: I Gave Stillbirth At 20 Weeks After Complaining For Weeks, Did I Receive Substandard Medical Care? Raena Granberry shares her experience receiving substandard maternal care during her first two pregnancies and calls in other black women to help them have better experiences than hers.

Alrighty, then :)

Thinx Founder Wore Breast Pumps Around Burning Man and Shared Milk With Burners The living, breathing TED talk has a new favorite bodily fluid to talk about.

The Ultimate Homebirth Chart Why do women choose home birth? This infographic helps explain it! Home birth is on the rise with a 30% increase over recent years. Help spread the home birth love and share this chart. Together we can let all women know they have another option. The information in this chart is a graphic

Hard commute? Midwife rode an inflatable swan to deliver baby in flood After her Katy, Texas neighborhood flooded last week, midwife Cathy Rude hitched a ride on an inflatable swan to deliver her patient's baby.