The need for a blog.

Someone a while back suggested we start a separate blog for the LNB, and I have been dwelling on this suggestion for some time.  We have a wealth of resources and information on the current Louisiana Natural Birth site, however it seems members have a hard time navigating the format of the meetup site.  I think it is also important that our resources be accessible to anyone looking to give birth in the state of Louisiana and the meetup group itself should serve as a place for more face to face and online support. 

As we enter into yet another new year, I have been reflecting on where we have come this past year and where we still need to go in the next.  I set out in the beginning of 2010 to reorganize and update our ABOUT section, and have spent the bulk of the year networking with other birthing professionals, learning all I can about what resources are available to women in our state (mainly in the Baton Rouge area).  I have tried my best to create the most comprehensive list of birth professionals, birth places, and support persons and this will undoubtedly be a never ending task.  I hope to expand on last years quest and in the year of 2011, continue to update the resources while also providing some consumer feedback for each reference listed.  I also plan to move the resource information to this blog (while still keeping it on the LNB meetup site). 

These past couple months I have also reflected on where I see myself going in the next few years.  I thoroughly enjoy what I now have the privilege of doing.  I often refer to what I do as matchmaking between expecting parents and birth professionals as well as birth counseling.  Many long winded emails go out on a daily basis, everything from my personal testimony and advice, to support and guidance.  I love to connect with each woman that comes through our site this way, however the task is becoming harder as my children grow, needing more of my time, and as I look to my future in the birth community.  Thus comes the need for a blog I think.  Here I can rattle off about what is going on in the birthing community, and direct those who may benefit from the information here.  I hope there will be more than just myself contributing to this blog, the idea is to take what we love to do on the message boards and expand it here. 

What will this mean for the already functioning meetup site?  I can't lie and say I have all that figured out, I don't.  Will the blog and message boards be redundant?  I hope to interlink the two so that discussions can still be had on the meetup boards while the blog will serve more as a soap box.  The other hope is that more non members will trek on over here to read and weigh in on topics, giving the message boards a chance for more personal discussions. 

I welcome any feedback or participation, you can comment here or email inquiries, comments, suggestions to the LouisianaNaturalBirth@gmail.com address. 

Thank you to those supporting the normalcy of birth here in our state, and bless those of you striving to achieve just that
Amy Shamburger