Okay, it's time for our final give away in observance of National Women's Health Week! I hope all of you have found time this week to improve your physical and mental health, and recommit to those forgotten New Year's resolutions. His Middle Name is happy that we could promote this week of health to all of our loyal female fans and followers, and are excited that our advocacy has grown from preemie parents to all women and parents alike. So now for the give away!!!
For our final give away, His Middle Name is giving away a wonderful yoga DVD to help reinvigorate your body in the place you are most comfortable - your own home! Rodney Yee's AM and PM Yoga DVD is brand spankin' new, and will be available to one lucky His Middle Name fan. This DVD is actually a set of two DVDs - one that strengthens and one that calms and relaxes you after a hard day's work. Offered from our wonderful sponsor, GAIAM, this DVD is just one extension of their wonderful products focused on encouraging personal development and health and wellness. All you have to do is answer the question above this post (on HMN's Facebook timeline) and you will be considered to win this great give away. You have until this Sunday at 6pm EDT to leave your comment. Easy, isn't it? Believe me, I bought this same exact DVD for myself and it is amazing! So don't forget to leave your answer/comment and good luck!!!

Okay, ladies – the time is here to present our first give away in support of National Women’s Health Week! Months ago when I was thinking about how His Middle Name would honor such an important week, I thought about when I felt my most beautiful and healthy. I have to admit, it was during my pregnancy and right after I gave birth to Sutton. To encourage that same confidence in others, I thought about products that I treasure and help me feel my best. Motherlove Herbal Company is one of my hands down favorites, and has the perfect products for the pregnant, birthing or breastfeeding mothers (and for baby too). Motherlove’s products are all natural, gentle, holistic and supported by health care providers everywhere. Actually, it was my lactation consultant that first suggested their products to me! Their salves, sprays and tinctures are therapeutic and pamper the body and soul. I couldn’t imagine a better way to encourage Mommies and mothers to be to embrace health while also indulging themselves.
What will the winner of today’s give away win? A Motherlove Nurturing Life Giftbox, which is full of goodies to pamper mommy and baby and is valued at $60.00!
So how will His Middle Name’s very first give away work? In a fun and easy way! All you have to do is send the His Middle Name Facebook page two new fans and have them post on the His Middle Name timeline that they were referred by you. The first person to do so wins the Nurturing Life Giftbox! It can be for you, or you can gift it to a pregnant or nursing friend. Either way, this give away has been created with fun in mind. To entice you, there is a photo and description of what you will win below. Now go .... and may the quickest gal win!

Hey ladies – it’s National Women’s Health Week! Whether you’re a preemie mom, a new mom, or just celebrated your umpteenth Mother’s Day, this week is for you! Every year, the Department of Health and Human Services hosts National Women’s Health Week to help kick start the beginning of summer by promoting women’s health. Because women tend to be the care givers for their families, their own health care needs are often placed on the back burner to the tasks of everyday family life and work. National Women's Health Week gives all women that bit of extra encouragement to recommit to making their health a priority. Whether it’s eating healthy, having preventative screenings or quitting unhealthy habits (like smoking), National Women's Health Week presents an opportunity for all women to prioritize their well-being. Personally, I couldn’t think of a better way to follow up such a beautiful Mother's Day than with an entire week completely devoted to women and their health!
And how is His Middle Name getting involved this year, you might ask? Well, we will be adding a little fun to the mix!  Not only is His Middle Name featured on the National Women’s Health Week web site as a recommended resource, but we’ll also have two give aways this week to encourage women to stay positive, strong and healthy. In the mean time, support the women in your life by forwarding this friendly e-card to remind them to get a check up, go for a jog or start a mommy strolling club! Check back often this week to make sure that you’re not missing out on this week’s awesome, sponsored give aways and spread the word about His Middle Name!

Hip hip hooray! His Middle Name is featured yet again, but this time in a premier women's magazine! Identity Magazine (http://identitymagazine.net/) is an online women's magazine that empowers women to appreciate the unexpected in their life and embrace their inner selves. Their motto is "Accept. Appreciate. Achieve." How very fitting that their mission is similar to the His Middle Name cause - to celebrate life, self love and self help through education. Once I was asked to be a guest writer for one of their "Appreciate Articles," it didn't take long to realize what a unique and gratifying opportunity was being presented to me. After only a few minutes on Identity Magazine's user friendly website, I was completely hooked! And ladies, this isn't just any ol' women's magazine full of fad diets, celebrity gossip, beauty products and meaningless articles. This magazine is a celebration of women's lives - all of our nagging imperfections and all of our triumphs. Finally - a magazine that inspires women to be their best selves and achieve their goals in life within their own timeline. To say the least, Identity Magazine and His Middle Name are a perfect match!
I hope each of you finds some time to curl up with your iPad or laptop, drink some chai tea and peruse this wonderful magazine. Hopefully, it will give you the gift of clarity and renewed confidence, just as it does for me every time I visit the website. You can read the article about the inspiration behind His Middle Name by visiting the website and selecting the "All About Appreciate" section, or simply click here. Enjoy!

Good evening His Middle Name family, friends and followers. Yesterday was our local March of Dimes "March for Babies," and the city was painted purple! I had to give myself the day after the festivities to just let it all soak in before I wrote this blog post, as it was such an amazing and uplifting event. I just wanted to be in the moment and enjoy the high that the morning had left me with, which seemed to last all day and well into the night. With that said, yesterday could not have been a more perfect day to reflect, honor and celebrate all of the babies born too soon. To see my community rally the way it did - with family teams connecting and sharing and strangers becoming friends - was so humbling it brought me to tears on more than one occasion. Everyone at the march was connected in this deeply personal way, even though our experiences with prematurity and how it has affected our lives may be different. Whether we were marching in remembrance of a child passed or a child that beat the odds, we were there to march together for the same goal - for stronger, healthier babies. Can you imagine that kind of energy in the air? It was electric and contagious!
We started our day like any other .... with breakfast! I love to host get togethers and parties, so I was happy to host a Team His Middle Name breakfast with all the trimmings before the march!
                                   

Then it was off to the art museum for a morning of fun: team registration, incentives and give aways, music and meeting up with friends before the four mile march down the avenue!

F.Y.I. Team His Middle Name raised $700 - which was astounding given our team goal of $1000. That was 70% of our goal!!! I am so proud of our family, friends and coworkers for donating and sponsoring us in this year's march. It was incredibly generous of each and every individual that donated, and Team His Middle Name is so thankful! The money raised will go to funding important research, programs and education, and most importantly, help other mothers have healthy, full term pregnancies.

Needless to say, we had a blast (especially Sutton - I don't think he's ever seen more babies in one place)! As we started the march, we kept getting stopped and smiled at because of our son's big personality and festive stroller. It was pretty hard to miss because I had decorated it with signs, quotes and a banner that had our team logo and Sutton's birth weight: 2 pounds, 5 ounces. His weight was even printed on the back of our team shirts - behind us, but an ever present reminder of how far he had come. How far we had come as a family. As we marched down the avenue, I had a moment to stop and look out at all the people that had come together to march. I couldn't even see where the march began or ended, as the crowd spanned further than the eye could see. I looked on, awestruck. I had a moment to thank God for giving me and my family the opportunity to be apart of something so special. I thanked God for giving us Sutton. And for a moment, I thought I could hear my own heart pounding out a song of gratitude, only to look over and see a small band marching along, drumming out a beat. It wasn't my heart beating loudly, but I sent my thoughts of gratitude and my hopes for the future out with those drum beats and into the wind ..... who knows where they'll end up.

                                                                          ... and in honor of Sutton Matthew.

Get to your twitter accounts and Facebook accounts and spread the word! It’s time to take control and talk about uterine fibroids so that other women can hear your voice and learn from your experience. The last day of Fibroid Awareness Week will be open to interpretation, but I encourage you to get out there and make your voice heard!  Talk to your partner, your closest girlfriends, seek a support group and most importantly, talk to your doctor about fibroids and your treatment options. It’s important to remember while many fibroids are small and won’t need treatment, others can grow and spread aggressively. And although it is not common that a woman would have complications during pregnancy due to fibroids, it’s certainly not unheard of. My pregnancy is a shining example of that. That’s one of the reasons why I always encourage the women in my life to see their OBGYNs before planning a pregnancy and to keep healthy in general. That’s also why the mission of His Middle Name has grown in many ways to be not only a resource for preemie parents, but advocate women and mothers as well. I’m very proud of what His Middle Name is becoming, and I hope you are enjoying the journey as well.

P.S. If you are not sure how to start the conversation on fibroids and you have a twitter account, you can always ask questions and get advice here.

This week has been very special to me posting these online initiatives for all women and mothers that suffer from uterine fibroids. I hope in some way, each of you has been able to learn more about your body, your health goals and any treatment options you may be considering. I want you to know that I have been there and you are not alone in your quest for freedom from fibroid tumors. One of the treatment options that I have gently touched on in the past is the option of hysterectomy. For some women, hysterectomy is a personal choice after years of dealing with fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse or heavy menstrual cycles. For other women, like me, it is not a choice at all but a necessary surgery to maintain a quality of life and move forward in health without further complications. For other women, hysterectomy is a life saving surgery, especially for those that suffer from gynecologic malignancies. Whatever avenue you find yourself at a cross roads with, learning more about the different types of hysterectomy and what to expect before and after surgery will help you feel less overwhelmed and more confident.
One of my very favorite websites (and a go to tool for my own questions and concerns) is the website Hyster Sisters. Hyster Sisters (http://www.hystersisters.com/) is a premier woman to woman support community, offering up to date hysterectomy information, support forums, recovery assistance and news articles. Reading the patient stories and step by step guides really helped me prepare mentally for my surgery, and after my surgery, it was a great way to chart my progress and ask questions. I have to admit that even though I felt supported by my wonderful husband, family and friends, it was a different type of support that I received from Hyster Sisters. The support I received was from women who had been there first hand, and it seemed to me all the women were cheerleaders for one another.
If you are considering hysterectomy as a surgery option, I encourage you to visit Hyster Sisters, browse their user friendly website, and sign up to join. Without taking the place of your doctor, the website offers good advice and a comforting community. It’s free to become a member and believe me, once you start visiting the website you will be addicted! They also have a Facebook page for quick questions and discreet online support. I don’t know what I would have done without such a wonderful resource, and I hope if you are faced with hysterectomy that it will offer the same to you.

For women suffering from uterine fibroids, it is important for them to know that they are not alone. Tomorrow evening will be a great opportunity to connect with another woman who also suffers from fibroids, and learn about her journey and ask questions. That’s really what this week is all about – encouraging women to ask questions and take the reins when it comes to their health! I consider it a gift that another woman is willing to share her personal struggles with uterine fibroids – from diagnosis to treatment – and share it with the world. The following information should come in handy if you are interested in learning more:

• “15 Minutes with a Patient" – A personal question and answer session on Facebook with a fibroid patient. Q&A session starting at 4pm PDT (7pm EDT). Listen, learn and share your own story! Sign up on Facebook to RSVP here.

Got the Monday blues? Shake them off tomorrow night with some hot chocolate and your lap top in bed! Tomorrow’s event will be an intimate, engaging way to learn about fibroids and receive new information on treatment options. This featured webinar is free, will connect you to women around the globe and you can even chat with a doctor and get some answers to any questions you may have. It’s time to forge that conversation …. guidance and peace of mind is only a few clicks away. You can register online here.

Today I had a moment of reflection. It was a rainy, cold afternoon and although I wanted to stay indoors and schlep around in my cozy sweats, my husband encouraged me to get out and take some time for myself. My hubby Brad even went so far as to make a spa appointment for me! So away I went, almost unwillingly. I just wanted to curl up with my family and enjoy the lazy Sunday (which is very rare in our household because we always have something going on). But as soon as I sat down and had a moment to close my eyes and enjoy some "me time," it hit me how far I had come in my journey towards health and freedom from fibroids. It was only a few months ago I was going into surgery to remove them, hoping I wouldn't regret the decision. Learning to empower myself with knowledge when faced with so many different avenues really helped me make the proper choice for me without hesitation. Once I realized that I physically felt better than I had in years, I was able to sit back, relax and enjoy my pedicure. I realized I have no regrets. If you suffer from fibroids, that is my hope for you as well.
This week marks the third annual Fibroid Awareness Week, and I want it to be more of a celebration of choices rather than a week of anxiety about treatment options. The Fibroid Treatment Collective (http://www.fibroids.com/) and its founder Bruce McLucas, M.D., are sponsoring the third annual Fibroid Awareness Week, a week dedicated to spreading the word about fibroids and educating all women on treatment options and availability. I have been such a huge cheerleader of all their efforts and they of mine because there just isn't much reliable or updated information out there regarding fibroids, fibroids and fertility and fibroids and pregnancy. The Fibroid Treatment Collective advocates embolization as a safe alternative to other fibroid treatments, and although it wasn't the right choice for me due to unique circumstances, it is a minimally invasive treatment option that may be right for you if you suffer from fibroids. I will also be posting some information on the option of hysterectomy to maintain a balance and offer as many options to His Middle Name followers as possible. To ensure women with fibroids know all the options when it comes to treatment, I will be posting a new education initiative each day this week. Whether its a seminar, webinar or video, I promise to scour the internet and make His Middle Name a one stop shop of information for the week. If you or someone you know are suffering from fibroids, this is your week!
So let's kick things off right tonight! Here's tomorrow's event information and all the ins and outs on how to sign up. Enjoy, empower and educate yourself!

• "15 Minutes with a Doctor" – An informative question and answer session on Facebook with a doctor. Q&A session starting at 2pm PDT (5pm EDT). Ask questions and get advice! Sign up on Facebook to RSVP here.