As I drove away from the house, knowing my tiny girl was peacefully sleeping under the watchful gaze of her loving father, I felt sick.

I’d spent nearly a week trying to think of a way I could avoid taking my baby to the police station to fill in paperwork after my car was hit while parked at the side of the road. I drove to a police station ten minutes away and buzzed the intercom. I was told I’d have to travel another fifteen minutes through heavy traffic to a bigger police station. I got cross and upset. “I have a newborn at home who will wake any minute,” I begged. The police officer wouldn’t budge. “I’m sorry, but you need to come in now to get this paperwork sorted,” I was told.

As I drove yet further from my girl, my milk-heavy breasts started to leak. As I sobbed irrational, uncontrollable tears, the milk coursed it’s way through my maternity pads and bra, flowing in a sticky river down my wobbly stomach. Every inch of me wanted to turn around, drive back home and be with my baby. I felt like I had lost an arm.

There’s no way you can know that urge until you have a baby. I remember being pregnant, thinking friends who weren’t keen to leave their newborns for a few hours were “over protective” and needed to “get a grip”. But no one told me it’s an animal thing. Physical. Hormonal. Emotional.

So imagine having no choice but to ignore that urge to be with your baby. Imagine breastfeeding your newborn for the last time, wiping his milky little face and carefully bundling him into a warm babygrow and holding him tight against your chest. Imagine looking at your peaceful, content baby as you walk down the street, full of pride at your miracle, before wrapping him tighter in his blanket and leaving him on the doorstep of an alien institution.

Imagine walking away, hearing his cries as he wakes, sensing his mother isn’t there. Imagine dying inside as your baby’s cries get louder and your soul breaks in two, knowing you have to leave him there on that cold doorstep.

Every day in Moldova one child under the age of seven is abandoned to an institution. This isn’t a Victorian novel. It’s now. And it’s not hundreds of thousands of miles away either.

Please watch this video of Madaleina. Take yourself back to those days when your baby was tiny and put yourself in the shoes of her mother. It’s a heartbreaking story with a happy ending. Sadly, most stories in Moldova don’t end this way.

Hope and Homes for Children is a UK based charity trying to keep families together, preventing the causes that lead many desperate mothers to have to abandon their newborn babies. Their work in Moldova focuses on closing Dickensian style institutions, reuniting families and reforming childcare practices alongside the Government.

Rather than buying that extra piece of plastic your child probably doesn’t need this Christmas, consider donating the equivalent cost to the Hope and Homes for Children’s Keeping Families Together Campaign.

I know you’re probably sick of being asked for money from charities this Christmas. I know we’re all getting emails every day and phone calls and being stopped in the street. But please watch this video and give this cause at least two minutes of your head space.

It’s important.

The post A desperate choice appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

Despite my best efforts to learn to knit, sew and make beautifully arty creations out of an old slipper and a rusty nail, I’m constantly indignant at my lack of crafting ability. Yes it’s fair to say, I’m rubbish at making things.

Take this homemade peg bag as proof:

Yes, I did try to “embroider” the word “peg” onto it. And yes, I did give up before I got to the S:

So I’m pleased to see that my fabulously talented (competitive mum, me?) soon-to-be 11 month old daughter hasn’t inherited my total lack of crafty skills. Here is her self portrait, as painted onto a mug:

Clever girl.

But I didn’t just take Frog pottery painting this morning to prove she’s clearly the most talented baby on the planet. There was actually a serious undertone to the whole experience.

You see, there’s this campaign doing the rounds of the blogosphere at the moment. It’s all down to  Save the Children, as they attempt to put pressure on world leaders ahead of the Global Immunisation Summit on 13^th June. The charity wants those attending the summit to increase funding for immunisation. In the words of Save the Children, this is why:

“No child is born to die, but 8 million children under five die every year from illnesses we know how to treat or prevent, such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. In the 21st century, this is utterly wrong.”

It’s no secret that I’ve become a gibbering wreck since having a baby and fall into a sobbing heap at the slightest glimpse of anything sad. But this figure isn’t just sad – it’s devastating. If you want to do something about it,  sign the online petition set up by Save the Children.

Now, to raise awareness of the charity’s plight, some ridiculously crafty blogging types (i.e. Red Ted Art and Sleep is for the Weak) have started a Meme (mum, if you’re reading this, I’ve explained what a “meme” is before, remember?). The idea is to get our children to draw or craft a picture of themselves now or in the future, then share the results on our blog. It gives us the chance to show off our children’s talents and be the boasting mothers that we all secretly are (no? Just me then?), as well as highlighting a campaign that’s really rather important.

I’ve been tagged by Northern Mummy with Southern Children as well as The Real Housewife of Suffolk. Oh, and don’t forget Mother Porridge. God, I’m popular. Either that or they all thought they’d get a good laugh out of Frog’s attempt at a self-portrait. Well, not so fast ladies. In case you missed it just now, here again is my daughter’s incredibly beautiful, inspirational, genius-like creation:

If you think your child can do better (as if) please do join in. For now, I’m tagging:

Making Life More Beautiful

Nimble Fingers Steady Eyebrows

Dorky Mum

Mammy Woo

Dummy Mummy

Mummy Beadzoid

Ghostwriter Mummy

Goodbye Pert Breasts

Here’s what you need to do:

1) Get your child to either draw or craft a self portrait of themselves now or in the future. (don’t worry they don’t have to be as good as mine)
2)Sign the Save the Children petition (here) to support full funding for vaccinations and then pass it onto your friends
3) Write a blog post about it as soon as possible, including info about Save the Children and the petition. We want as many people linked up at Red Ted Art and signed up the petition by Sunday 29th May 2011.
4) Tag 8 fellow blogger friends
5) Link up your posts at Red Ted Art
6) If you have time, visit each other posts and say hello!

Now go forth and #passiton.

The post Art, crafts and immunisations appeared first on Mother's Always Right.