Push Present

Many of you have likely heard of the new, and I'm assuming American fad known as the "push present". It's a gift given to a mother-to-be or a recently new mother by the father of her child as a means of thanking her for all the fuss of pregnancy, delivery, etc. Once upon a time I likened this idea to that of Valentine's Day or Grandparent's Day: just another means through which various companies peddle their wares. However, after surviving a scorching summer of pregnancy, I've learned to appreciate this idea a bit more.

Many women talk about getting jewelry (read: diamonds) for pushing out a kid or two. Since I'd rather not own a diamond (because I'm totally granola minus the dreads and weed), Pete got a little creative with my gift. As a token of his sincere thanks for carrying his kiddos for 18 months, he donated money to an organization called Partners In Health. Its focus is making healthcare more accessible to people in poverty, especially those in third world countries. Pete's donation specifically purchased childbirthing kits for mommas in developing nations, including Haiti. These kits contain sterile, inexpensive items that are necessary for a safe delivery for both mom and baby: gauze, razors, umbilical cord clamps, washcloths, soap, antibacterial wipes, etc.

The amazing part? Each kit only costs 5 bucks. Can you believe that? I bet my provider charged around 600 bucks for all that jazz. Without these sterile items, both moms and babies are at risk of all sorts of infections that I have no authority to talk about since I don't have a medical degree. But I do know it's not good for them.

Interested in donating to this worthy cause? You can donate at GreaterGood.org. Greater Good manages incoming donations to PIH among other charities and funnels the money appropriately. They don't take a dime for doing this. Pretty cool.
Here's where you can donate money toward childbirth kits.