No one could comprehend the loss of a child, except one who has lost a child. My prayers are with the families of the boy scouts that lost their lives in the tornado and for the families who are experiencing great trials with the flooding in the Midwest. Hold your families close. May you find strength in trials, hope in destruction, and safety in family.

Saving Money

In a day that Gas prices are outrageous, cost of living is increasing, and there seems to be no relief in sight, parents need to save money any way they can. The first way to save money right off the bat is to Breast feed. The average cost of bottle feeding an infant is $1,500 for basic formula according to kidshealth.org. There are hidden savings in breast feeding also, a mother who breast feeds is less likely to call-in to work for a sick infant. The journal of Pediatrics determined in 1999 that a bottle fed infant had $331-475 additional medical expenses in the first year.(1) The next way to save money is look on the back of the products you use the most and cost the most like diapers and formula call the eight hundred number and request coupons. I receive coupons about every two months which saves me about 20-45 dollars, this used to be a tank of gas. My last money saving tip is to shop with a list. I have a note book on the counter next to the frig if I need something it goes on the list, I have taught my husband that he needs to writ things down too, otherwise he does not get them. When we go to the store I get only what is on my list, if I think of something that I am getting low on I add it to my next list, because I usually have a second one at the house. I think this saves me about 30-50 dollars every trip to the store. I do let my little girl pick one thing out that is not on the list, she only gets one thing and if she is not good it goes back, most of the time it is a small item costing about two dollars. I am teaching her to compare prices, looking at the store brands verses the national brands although there are some products like conditioner that I do not elect the cheaper version. Breast feed, find coupons, and us a list to find out just how much money you save, let me know!!!
Sources:
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/food/infants/breast_bottle_feeding.html

Road blocks to breastfeeding.

As an OB nurse, who breastfed for 2 years, I find it disheartening when mothers react negatively to breastfeeding. I have had patient’s family members make snide remarks about breastfeeding that were completely uncalled for especially in front of a new mother. In my practice I find three main problems First Doctors, Nurses and then Doctors again.
Doctors are first because they see the patient first, they can encourage breast feeding, assessing for inverted or flat nipples, and support. Ways to encourage breast feeding is education at each visit give a mother one bit of information, moms are seen for about seven months prior to delivery that is a lot of tidbits. If the Doctor would take a few second to assess for inverted or flat nipples in the sixth to seventh month the patient could purchase Nipple shields (http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/breast-care/103/softshells-for-inverted-nipples ). Support could be offered to the expectant mother through referrals to a breast feeding class, breast feeding consultant or the la leche league (http://www.llli.org/resources.html).
The next problem is some nurses, who find it easier to feed an infant with a bottle instead of assisting with breastfeeding. It is understood that not all nurses have breast fed their own children and do not have a large knowledge base to work from, but in most cases nurses do not work alone. When a mother wants to nurse some of the nurses I have worked with have sabotaged breastfeeding unintentionally but none the less the harm is done. The only thing that should go in a breast baby’s mouth is the mother’s breast. THE ONLY THING THAT SHOULD GO IN A BREAST BABY’S MOUTH IS THE MOTHER’S BREAST. No pacifiers, no bottles, no rice cereal, no exception.
Doctors again, there is a misconception that a breast baby has to return to birth weight in one week, this is not true. If the infant is content, having 6-8 wet diapers and 2-5 stools around the third day of life there is not a problem. So many doctors want new moms to supplement to get the weight up on the infant that a good breast milk supply is not established.
As a new mom, trust yourself; if you want to breast feed be your own advocate. Explain to the nurses Before delivery that you want to breast feed ask them to not feed your baby. Ask for help; ask to be seen by the lactation consultant on staff. It is your right as a mother to determine the best care for you and your child.

Screaming in the utility room!

So my husband and I are talking about another baby. I am all for it I think except I don’t know if I want to go through all of the disappointment, the first time is was three years of trying and then months of fertility and puking the whole time, until I had my little girl. You know when I was trying to get pregnant the first time it seemed like every one was having a baby but me. I went to several baby showers in the last year before I got pregnant. The last couple I almost did not make it through without crying. I am not sure that I can do it again, getting my hopes up just to start in the next couple of days. I am thinking that it is only going to be worse this time because I am now working in labor and delivery. I see a lot of great moms but when I have a mother who does not want to take care of their baby I just want to rip her head off now (not pregnant) so how am I going to be with all the hormones racing through my body?? I guess I will just have to breathe in and out, in and out, in and out, and then scream at the top of my lungs in the Utility room, and pray that no one hears me.

Fight over hair!

Every morning with out fail, there is a fight, between mother and daughter. This little girl wakes up bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to start the day with a great big smile, she is ready to learn, play, explore, and just have fun. On the other hand, mom gets home from work just as her little one is waking up; mom is ready to crawl into bed, to sleep the day away as she did prior to the birth of her buddle of joy, having taken care of people all nigh long. Mom gets breakfast started; oat meal is in the microwave, little one in her chair, apple juice in her sippy cup. With oat meal all over the counter, little girl and in her hair the fight begins. Mom tries to clean off all of the oat meal, before she starts to comb her little one’s hair. A shrill scream comes from the little girl when she gets sight of the comb. “You’re hurting me!” she yells before the first piece of hair is touched. Mom tries to complete the task with out the painful removal of hair. Mother knows that some day again her little girl will again have her Daddy’s hair line. Alas, hair is done too cute for words and every one is happy.

My Favorite Thing!

My favorite thing in this whole wide world is nursing, the one perfect thing that I as a mother can do for the perfect little girl entrusted to me. The time spent holding her, examining her tiny fingers, gazing into those big blue eyes, stroking her curly blonde hair will never be again, for this month we stopped.I remember crying for days when she was just new because I could not get her to latch on, I felt that I had failed as a mother; I had failed her, my little girl. After what seemed hours of frustration, trying to nurse, my mom would come take her and feed her. I would pump and cry knowing that in 3 hours we would try again.Not until my little girl was a month old did we really click, at that time I was relaxed taking care of her, I was confident in my abilities as a mother. Sitting on the couch holding my little girl with her wisps of hair in my fingers did it dawn on me that she had not had a bottle in days, the flood of tears started again, we did it!Time went on I had to return to work. My little girl was not happy with a bottle for formula from dad; it was another adjustment that she soon made with only a few sleepless nights. Nap time was ours, my little girl and mine to lay side by side so close we were almost one knowing that we were there for as long as she wanted, nothing else was important but her. She would look up at me with her mouth full attempting to smile.How comforting to my little girl when we were away from home to know that her safe place was right there, mom was right there. She would venture so far and then back to me for soft reassurance that everything was ok. She would pat at my chest when she wanted to nurse, looking into my eyes melting my heart, asking with all her trusting abilities to nurse.Starting to talk was wonderful; the third or fourth word she said was nurse. When she would ask to nurse it was as if she were saying “I love you mommy, can we cuddle and nurse, please?” it was always so sweet.Eating new foods, such an exciting time for her, new textures, flavors, and temperatures, learning that this would soon be her only source of nutrition; nursing became less of a necessity and more of a comfort. An injury was always made better by nursing; it stopped the crying almost instantly. Bed time was easier when she was able to nurse to sleep.As she grew older and bigger I realized that this bond only we shared would shortly come to an end, for she would not need me in that way, but I still wanted my baby girl to come to me and only me, curl up so close to me that we were again almost one, look up in to my eyes and say “Nurse? Mamma Nurse?” giving me her smile that only I got.Now at two years old I have finished that part of being her mother more confident for the next. Yet still morning, this very short period of time I have had with my daughter to bond to be her world, these short precious moments we shared will always be my treasure the best part of sleepless nights. Nursing is the best thing that only a Mother and her infant can share. 2/14/2008

What I love about my Job:

1. I love the smell of clean baby’s hair that is soft.
2. I love seeing a father cry when he sees his little girl for the first time.
3. I love to help mothers breast feed and watch them bond with their new baby.
4. I love to see a mom hold her new infant kissing their head ever so softly.
5. I love to see a Daddy hold his new baby for the first time they are always afraid they will break them.
6. I love to see the joy when a child is truly wanted by a mother and a father.
7. I love to see a mother dress her new infant in new clothes pick especially for taking them home, it does not matter if they are from Dillard’s or hand me downs.
8. I love knowing that if this child never feels love again that I love it for a moment in time
I have been blessed now for over a year working in Labor and Delivery I still feel as though I would work here even if I won the lotery.