Do the Math (An Overdue Update)

For those keeping score (or who need a recap),

I started a blog entitled “Atlanta Ad Dad (to be)”  - the blog’s title has officially changed.

My daughter’s due date was August 4th – my last post was August 10th.

And since I’m more of a visual person…

Before...

...During (8.16.11)...

...After

Oh, and of course LOTS of this…

So as I get my bearings in this whole fatherhood thing, thanks for your patience. I’m looking forward to my future posts.

And yes, a special nod to all the dads out there who were reading my blog and chuckling to themselves as the date drew nearer – you knew what was about to happen. And you are not the least bit surprised by my absence.

I Love My Wife – Post #13

“Your daughter is breath-taking.
Seriously – I can’t see her yet but she’s literally taking my breath away.”

The Machine that Goes “Ping!” (The Miracle of Birth)

With a due date of August 4th, things have been a little intense (but exciting) the last few days. So while there are a few blog posts I have in mind to write, here’s a video from those great Monty Python guys to keep you all entertained:

haha, Beta Max…

Huggies Advertises Easy, Slip-On Diaper

What’s this? A topic that combines babies and advertising? Yes, please!

So Huggies has started marketing a new diaper that is easier* to get on those toddlers that are old enough to cause some difficulties for their parents but young enough that they’re not potty trained yet.  They use some clever labels for the various types of mobile tots in the below video from Chicago’s Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, part of WPP. Look for it as begins broadcasting on Sunday.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10100322382370011&oid=106874109386&comments

Did you know that the diaper market totals nearly $2 billion in annual revenue in the U.S.? The article goes on to report that Huggies “spent $51.5 million on advertising in 2010, behind Pampers, the Procter & Gamble brand, at $55.4 million.” I had no idea the diaper industry was such a battle ground – but then again, babies keep coming and they gotta do their business somewhere, right?

Maybe not – since apparently the total dollar sales for the disposable diaper category fell 4.7% in the 52 weeks that ended July 10, while sales for private label brands grew 5.4 percent. Of course, if you really want to see that number continue to go down I know of a baby born in ’85 whose parents simply let the kid do his/her business on a designated towel for a while to save the cost of diapers. Just make sure you use the right towel when heading to the pool.

The one thing I gotta admire about Huggies and their marketing is their down-to-earth approach. Sure, babies are cute and fun and bring that “Aww” factor – but the reality is that parenting babies can be chaotic and all moms know this. “The way Huggies talks to moms is that it doesn’t idealize motherhood, it’s about the real world and the real-world challenges you’ll have. ” said Angela Johnson, a managing director at Ogilvy who works on the Huggies brand. She described the newest campaign as “a big dose of reality, but told with humor.”

My favorite part of the article (which you can read in full with the link below) is how they cast for this spot. Babies and animals are traditionally the things to avoid if possible for easy shoots. But for this spot Huggies went after the “squirmiest” babies!

“Some did their squirmy moves and we just wrote to their moves,” said Chris Turner, a creative director at Ogilvy. “But some didn’t move, and some just cried.”

Full article from the New York Times here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/business/media/making-the-diaper-change-easier.html?_r=1

‘Business of Being Born’ Highlights

At the recommendation of many friends and contacts in the “birth” industry in the ATL, my wife and I recently watched the documentary, The Business of Being Born.

If you are going to have a baby, I highly recommend it. Be forwarned - you definitely see a few women giving birth, so if you’re not quite ready for that imagery…well, you’re having a baby, so good luck with that. While watching the film, I jotted down some of the most interesting facts and quotes:

- 70% of births are attended by midwives in Europe and Asia…only
8% in the U.S.
- Very few doctors actually see a normal birth as part of their education/training. When some med students were asked if they had ever seen a natural, unmedicated birth – they froze in shock and embarrassment.
- Midwives attend 70-80% of births in countries that have much lower birth fatalities than the U.S.
- The U.S. has one of the highest maternal fatality rates of the industrialized countries
- The old “standard” position of giving birth, with the moms having their legs up (in the stirrups) actually made the woman’s pelvis smaller. The only benefit is that its easier for the doctor!
- The power of fear from media on women cause them to expect traumatic experiences during labor, instead of embracing it; Nothing compares to the privilege of giving life
- A woman does not need to be rescued; it’s the time for her to lay claim to her own victory.

Twilight Sleep

- The movie showed images of the “twilight sleep” from the early 20th century…the images were so disturbing - I still can’t believe we put women through that
- Twilight Sleep” took away self-control so hospitals actually strapped women down for days.
- Since 1996 the cesarean section rate in the U.S. has risen 46%. It rose to one of three in 2005.
- The average c-section is a 20 minute procedure. Most are scheduled around doctors’ schedule and usually right before dinner time.
- The physician’s fear of getting sued is suspected to have increased the c section trend
- It’s now considered “fashionable” to schedule a birth instead of letting a baby come naturally – “too posh to push”
- If a home birth can be 1/3 of the price of a hospital you’d think insurance companies would love it. Instead, insurance companies are making it more and more difficult for women to actually have a choice in how they have their babies
- The economic battle: U.S. moms pays more for a birth than many other countries and we have a higher infant mortality rate
- “If I could (give birth naturally), I can do anything.” We’re taking that mantra and opportunity for that kind of confidence away from women.
- There is a natural hormonal process during labor on the brain – said to affect mother’s dedication to her child (pitocin vs oxytocin)
- Monkeys given a c-section weren’t interested in their baby.
- There is a “cocktail of love hormones” that bonds mother to child through giving birth. Can we survive without love?