Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts

Anne Geddes Launches New Book "my Pregnancy: A Woman's Story"

 
Anne Geddes introduces her captivating new pregnancy project my Pregnancy: A Woman's Story. 
 my Pregnancy is a high-quality collectible magazine featuring women’s intimate and emotional stories recounting their pregnancies and births, accompanied by Anne’s beautiful imagery of the women and selected   elements of nature that bring forth new life, exploring echoing themes  of mystery and loveliness.

On April 28th in Manhattan, the world renowned photographer Anne Geddes – known for her iconic and captivating images of newborn babies – made a rare U.S. appearance where she launched and released the inaugural issue of the U.S. edition of a magazine catering to pregnant woman and featuring their interesting stories as they enter motherhood.  The magazine my Pregnancy: A Woman's Story, available for $14.95, is in partnership with Destination Maternity® and will be sold exclusively at Destination Maternity stores – namely at Motherhood Maternity® and A Pea in the Pod®.   Anne Geddes combines her incredible photography with nine women’s intimate and emotional interviews about their pregnancies, the births of their babies, and beyond.  Anne draws inspiration from nature’s beauty in photographing these resilient and interesting women.

Guest Blogger Fatimah Gilliam with Anne Geddes
One of the more special parts of the event was having the opportunity to speak with Anne personally and discuss the featured women, how she came to photograph them, and her motivations for taking on this project.  Anne is passionate about capturing the beauty and promise of pregnancy and sharing women’s stories – the positive and negative sides of pregnancy and motherhood.  In this unique magazine, she hopes to bring to light the truly universal story of motherhood.  

Anne, surprisingly a native of Australia, walked me through the lives of each of these nine women.  There’s Sonia who struggled with her ticking biological clock, Gina who was diagnosed with breast cancer days after learning of her pregnancy, and Rachel whose child was stillborn days after being photographed but had the strength to remain a part of this project since losing a child is a part of pregnancy for many women.  There’s also a fascinating story about three triplets who all got pregnant within a few weeks of each other, Kaiya who is a teen mother, and Candice who thought she couldn’t have children and unexpectedly got pregnant.  To learn more about these women and the others…maybe you should buy the magazine?

There is diversity in the stories – women from various walks of life and with unique experiences – yet all connected by this human experience that links all of us.  We all have mothers…someone gave birth to us…and many of us will become parents.  While this magazine focuses on women’s experiences through pregnancy, it also offers an interesting lens into the process of being pregnant that male partners and family members might find helpful and intriguing. 

On multiple levels, I recommend this magazine.  The artwork is captivating, and the glimpse into these women’s lives is compelling.  As someone who has been passionate about photography for many years, it was a great honor and joy to meet Anne.  But what I loved most about attending this event was getting to speak with her personally and see how down-to-earth, approachable, and genuine she is.  It was great to get the perspective of the artist behind the work. 

The collectible magazines will come out every four months.  I recommend you start collecting them.  They’re worth keeping and perusing again and again.

About my Pregnancy: A Woman’s Story:
The U.S. edition of my Pregnancy: A Woman’s Story is the continuation of Anne's my Pregnancy project, which debuted to acclaim in Australia in 2011 and was the result of over two years of her passionate work with pregnant women, whose rich and diverse narratives are heartwarming, courageous, and compelling. Beginning April 25, 2012, my Pregnancy will be sold in North America for the first time, exclusively at the 578 Destination Maternity, A Pea in the Pod, and Motherhood Maternity stores in the United States and Canada, and online at www.destinationmaternity.com, www.apeainthepod.com and www.motherhood.comChris Daniel, President of Destination Maternity Corporation officially welcomed Anne Geddes into the DM store and launched this new and innovative magazine and Anne's
partnership with DM stores.
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Guest Blogger Profile: Fatimah Gilliam, a family friend and native Californian, is an amazing photographer and showcases her talents on her annual Christmas cards which we love to receive, is the head of Finance and Fundraising at a humanitarian agency. She holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. She has run multiple marathons and loves fashion.

Follow Valley Stream Mom on Facebook or on Twitter @valleystreammom.


Precious Little Packages Offers A Personal Touch

Pregnancy is an exciting time filled with anticipation and preparation for the arrival of new life. Many hospitals and community centers offer prenatal or childbirth education and breastfeeding support, which can be wonderful resources for expectant parents. However, these classes are often offered in groups, lacking individualized attention. Many times the classes last for several hours, cramming lots of information over a specified amount of time. Although some parents may be satisfied with this format, many would like more personalized and convenient options.

Precious Little Packages is a comprehensive childbirth education service that equips expectant parents with the knowledge they need to navigate the process from pregnancy through labor and early infancy.

Developed by Daihnia Dunkley, an experienced registered nurse in maternal-child health, Precious Little Packages’ curriculum can be customized to meet the unique needs of any family with the added convenience of home visits. The instructor actually brings the classroom to you! The approach is needs based, offering a variety of topics and customized visit packages from which expectant parents may choose. This level of personalization is what makes Precious Little Packages, "Childbirth education with an individual touch."

For more information and fees, visit the website at www.preciouslittlepackages.com, or send an email to info@preciouslittlepackages.com. Currently serving the 5 boroughs of NYC and Long Island.

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