By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Julie_A_Harris]Julie A Harris
First and foremost, this list is meant to be a humorous look at some of the best and worst types of moms in the world. Every mom, including myself, is a healthy combination of a few or all of these at one time or another, our personalities honed over time by our individual experiences and unique children. We're all human, so take this list as it was intended to be, an irreverent look at motherhood, and nothing more.
Note: There is a mom type listed for each letter of the Greek alphabet. However, the Greek alphabet only has 24 characters to the English alphabet's 26, and the order is different. For my purposes here, I arranged each mom type alphabetically according to the English alphabet. I've listed 12 of the best moms and balanced them with 12 of the worst. Each mom type symbolized by the Greek alphabet was based on a loose translation of the Greek alphabet.
Alpha Moms: These are the moms who are acutely aware of all current methodologies and topics regarding parenting. While far from perfect, these moms have an intrinsic desire to achieve that level, if for no other reason than to not be persecuted by their offspring when they reach adulthood for having done things wrong when they were little. It's not a bad club to join as long as you don't mind hours of research on all things parenting-related. Plan on lots of self-imposed guilt when you make a mistake because you failed to do what the research dictated. Think Marion Cunningham ("Happy Days"), June Cleaver ("Leave It to Beaver") or Charlotte York Goldenblatt ("Sex and the City"). A sub-group of the Alphas, the Uber-Alphas are the Type-A control freaks who give Alphas a bad name. Think Martha Stewart.
Beta Moms: The balanced moms. More relaxed than Alphas, these moms are laid back in their approach to parenting and easier on themselves when they mess up. They usually make for the best mom friends and you'll be glad that you know a few of these. They throw the most fun and relaxed parties and make you feel like you fit in, even if you don't. Truly kind to all whom they encounter, these moms are the easiest to be around and probably produce the most well-balanced kids. Think Carol Brady ("The Brady Bunch"), Marge Simpson ("The Simpsons"), and even Lois Wilkerson from "Malcolm in the Middle."
Chi Moms: The shopper moms. These moms are either at the mall all day, kids in tow, or somewhere else procuring useless stuff that they don't really need. When discussing the bounty of the day, they marvel at how wonderful the sales were, never pausing to think about how much money they could have saved had they just stayed out of the stores to begin with. Often, there is a hiding place somewhere in the house where secret purchases are stashed for the short term. Only join this group if you can afford to pay cash, and even then, remember that over shopping never fills a void. Find a hobby that involves your kids instead, or work on the relationships in your life first. Think Victoria Beckham or any of "The Real Housewives."
Delta Moms: The snobby, Stepford moms. Like back in their sorority days at college, these women have a network of sisters who have vowed to ignore all other types of moms. If you've ever witnessed their huddled lawn chairs at the neighborhood block party, you'll note that the only thing that separates this exclusive circle of women from a herd of cows is a salt lick. If you can't get on the chaperone roster for your child's class field trip, it's because the Deltas have declared it a "Road Trip" for themselves, and collectively taken all of the spots within the first five minutes. They're at the school round-the-clock and make sure that everyone knows it, but smiling at anyone (including children) who aren't in their group is rare. Ironically, most consider themselves to be good Christians. Good luck if you want to join this pack, usually hazing is involved, and it isn't pretty. Think Bree Van De Camp ("Desperate Housewives").
Epsilon Moms: These are the athletic moms. These jocks compete in triathlons, run in packs, and are preternaturally pale from all of the blood draining out of their faces and into their legs. Occasionally they'll slow down for a walk with their kids; other times they'll take the overweight family dog along, dragging it behind them as they sprint. If you aren't physically capable of keeping up, don't bother with this group; they'll leave you gasping for air in the middle of nowhere. Think Madonna.
Eta Moms: These are the artistic or crafty moms. A fun group to join, these moms are always looking at things from a different perspective. Their homes are typically filled with creative, fun kid projects and lots of color. Never try to throw anything away in front of them though; they're like the Picassos of all moms. They see art where you see junk and have entire rooms devoted to storing bits and pieces of future artistic endeavors. You'll never look at an empty egg carton or toilet paper roll the same way again after time spent with these gals. Check out local art and craft fairs to see the work of Eta Moms.
Gamma Moms: These moms are the self-proclaimed earth mothers, not to be confused with the real earth mothers, the Rhos. They zero in on what is natural and wholesome, whether it's nutrition or demanding organic cotton clothing for their brood. Beware of play dates that you set up with their kids, however; you'll get a list of rules to follow, from what snacks are acceptable to what hand soap their kids are allowed to use (they may even bring their own). Don't be surprised if they show up at your door with an air-quality machine. The worst ones are militant control freaks who give even Uber-Alphas a run for their money. Their kids will probably live forever without ever really living at all. Think Gwyneth Paltrow.
Iota Moms: These are the beauty queen or girly-girl moms. They're the ones at school drop-off still applying makeup in the rear-view, holding up the rest of us (who don't care) in line. They don't go anywhere without being done-up and dolled-up. Blame their parents for valuing them for their looks and never for their brains while they were growing up. While not particularly bright, some of these moms try hard, none-the-less. Just don't trust them with your kids, they might lose one while they're primping in the mirror. Picture most of "The Real Housewives" or imagine Marilyn Monroe with kids.
Kappa Mom: These are the jealous moms. They usually don't show their true colors until their daughters are old enough to seem like competition to them or their sons bring home a first, serious true-love. These aging old bats are bitter that they didn't get more out of life and want to take it out on their kids and yours. Pray that one won't be a future in-law, because you'll end up paying for most of the wedding. They'll begrudgingly donate a dime here or there, but if they sense that the impending event will top their own nuptials, they'll do everything in their power to make sure that it doesn't. Smile, and take solace in the fact that their kids secretly hate them. Avoid becoming one by grabbing life by the horns and never letting go; your kids (and theirs) will love you for it. Think Joan Crawford, Cinderella's stepmother or Maleficent, the evil queen ("Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs").
Lambda Moms: The zookeeper moms. This group of moms has a lot of love to go around. They have so much, in fact, that after they are done having kids, they tend to start collecting pets. Lots of them. If you thought that your houseful of three kids is a zoo, wait until you come across a true Lambda. Noah's Ark carried less critters than the menageries that these ladies have managed to house and feed over the years. While Lambda Moms are a benevolent group to know, come prepared with a lint roller when you visit one of their homes, and anticipate that your kids will beg for a hamster, goldfish, bird, kitten, puppy, horse or pot-bellied pig when you leave. In fact, you'll never hear the end of these requests if your kids become friends with theirs. You've been warned. While she has an entire royal staff to help keep the pet hair away and the stables clean, think Queen Elizabeth II; her love for Corgi dogs (as many as 14 have had the run of Buckingham Palace) and horses is known the world over.
Mu Moms: These moms are nurturers in all senses of the word, especially when it comes to cooking or baking from scratch. They can whip up a delicious meal with only three ingredients and are unfazed by recipes that require as many as thirty. They don't believe in substitutes like margarine or egg whites and their frosting never comes out of a plastic container. In fact, sneak a peek inside one of their cupboards and you won't find a box or can of pre-made anything. If one of these women enters a recipe contest, steer clear with your plagiarized version from "Betty Crocker" because you won't stand a chance. Furthermore, if your family is lucky enough to get an invitation for dinner at a Mu Mom's house, accept it in the blink of an eye, but remember that your kids' palates will be changed forever. Do yourself a favor; bring take-home containers that she can't help but fill for you and ask for her recipes before you leave for the night. Think Paula Deen.
Nu Moms: These are the dark, Goth-inspired moms. While the outside package may be intimidating, don't judge a book by its cover. They may look different, but like everyone else, they come in all personalities and parenting styles. If you can get past the exterior, you may just find a pretty nice person with a great sense of humor underneath. Think Morticia Addams ("The Addams Family") or Lily Munster ("The Munsters").
Omega Moms: These are the corporate or doctorate moms who run their families like they run their companies or practices; respectable, but hard-core. Unless you are one, forget about running with this pack. They barely have time to balance family and a career, let alone answer the phone when you call. It isn't personal; these women are just stretched too thin. Keep rooting for them though; they're a rare breed that can handle what feminism preached in the 70's. These gals were the Dean's list crowd in college who went on to graduate summa cum laude. Think Claire Huxtable ("The Cosby Show"), Murphy Brown ("Murphy Brown") or Miranda Hobbes ("Sex in the City").
Omicron Moms: The political/activist moms. These women are the movers and shakers of the world and never met a cause that they backed away from. If you want to join this group, pick out an organization worth fighting for and plan on discussing it with everyone and anyone you meet. Be prepared to be unpopular at times for fighting for what you believe in, but be proud of yourself for helping to make the world a better place for your children. Think Rosa Parks or Gloria Steinem.
Phi Moms: These moms are the handywomen of all moms. Natural female MacGyvers, these moms can fix everything from bathroom plumbing to the family car. No strangers to the wonders of duct tape, these gals can manage to think of more uses for it than even the manliest of men. Undaunted by power tools, they could build a house in a week by themselves and probably already have. Remember all of those home improvement projects you keep nagging your husband about? Call one of these women instead; they'll probably do a better job in less time, and you won't have to listen to your husband complain or stroke his ego for days afterward. Check out "HGTV" or the "DIY Channel" if you're looking for advice from women who have mastered the art of DIY.
Pi Moms: The gossip moms. These women thrive on forgetting their troubles by focusing on yours or your children's. If you don't have anything nice to say, go sit next to them, but make sure you never turn your back. Their kids tend to pick up mommy's bad habits. Think Joan Rivers.
Psi Moms: The sports moms. Different from the Epsilon Moms, this group is never home. They are usually shuttling their kids (or an entire sports team) back and forth from practice or from game to game. They wear home-team jerseys and baseball caps 24/7 and have well-developed lungs. They have an uncanny knack for remembering individual plays of almost every game they've ever attended and know each player's personal stats. Never mention a rival team in their presence or you'll get a rundown of why their own kid's team plays more fairly, has a better coach, and should have an advantage for the season. It's great group to join if you love sports, but steer clear if your idea of a good time doesn't involve sitting on the edge of a field somewhere enduring just about any kind of weather imaginable. Picture any of the NBA, NFL, or Olympic moms.
Rho Moms: The true earth mothers. A more nurturing form of the Gamma earth mothers, this group is never pretentious and they're more easy-going than the Gammas. They're more about balance and harmony with nature than just regurgitating scientific facts of doom about what chemicals their kids should avoid. They either grow their own vegetables or visit the farmer's market with their children, stressing the importance of sustainable, local food sources. By contrast, the Gammas are more prone to freaking out about potential lead in the family's garden soil and won't eat anything that doesn't have an official certified organic sticker on it, even if it had to be shipped from Guam. The Rho Moms are a nice bunch to hang with, but beware of all of that zucchini they'll try to send home with you. Picture Rebecca Kolls ("Rebecca's Garden" on HGTV).
Sigma Moms: These are stage moms who bark orders at their kids. Their immaculately coiffed hair is usually blonde or over-highlighted, although some of them might be as frumpy as plumbers. It doesn't really matter though, because these moms bite, in all senses of the word. Their main goal is to live their lives through their kids, either because their 15 minutes were over long ago, or they never had them to begin with. They'll drown you in one-sided conversation and one-up you on almost anything, provided you can get a word in edge-wise. Avoid these moms like the plague or you'll find yourself on a reality show before you know it, guilty by association. Think Kate Gosselin or any of the moms from "Toddlers & Tiaras."
Tau Moms: The religious moms. Like anything tied to religion, these moms can run the gamut from the mere devout to cult-following zealots. Pick and choose carefully with this group or you may find yourself and your children trapped on a compound somewhere, spouting self-righteous words of condemnation to the rest of the human race. Keep your religion in check, or the rest of us will write you off as a nut job. Hint: If you find yourself soliciting your faith on behalf of a God who has a tendency to hate, or giving out cookies to hungry poor kids at bus stops so that they'll listen to you proselytize, you're probably in a cult. Good luck with that come reckoning day. Think Carolyn Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie) or Olivia Walton ("The Waltons") for the most balanced role models of this group.
Theta Moms: These moms are aloof. They are either shy or just like to pretend that they are, but odds are that you'll be ignored if you so much as smile in their general direction. The more aloof they are, the more likely that they're actually an indoctrinated Delta. Remember that the truly shy moms will at least manage a shaky grin, while the Deltas are only capable of an icy stare. Learn the difference, and don't waste your time if your first attempt to be cordial with an aloof mom isn't reciprocated. Famous, truly shy (away from the spotlight) moms include Sally Field and Lucille Ball.
Xei Moms: The superstars. Unlike the Sigmas, the kids aren't the main focus, mom is. Consummate martyrs, these women head every possible committee, organization or team that they come across. While giving you a full rundown of their daily planner, they'll pause occasionally to complain about exhaustion and then be off to the next gig faster than you can blink an eye. The best of them are legitimately overstretched because they just want to spend time with the groups that their children are involved in, but the worst of the bunch overload merely to have their name listed repeatedly on committee minutes, organization websites, or team rosters. Many will end up running for a political office at some point. Think Sarah Palin.
Ypsilon Moms: The neurotic, smothering moms. Always well-meaning, but a little on the nuts side. They're paralyzed with fear whenever their kids leave the house and they tend to be over-protective, more out of true concern for their children than a desire to be controlling. They're the moms who follow their kids everywhere and screen the neighborhood children (and their parents) before allowing play dates with their brood. Their kids are either prone to living at home well after they become adults, or fleeing the house as soon as they are able. If you ever cross your eyes at one of their children, prepare for the wrath of mom. Keep in mind that an extra set of protective eyes never hurts these days, and as long as your kid is nice to theirs, these moms will treat your children like one of their own. Think of Shirley McClaine's character in "Terms of Endearment" or Tom Hanks' mom in "Big".
Zeta Moms: The slacker moms in all their untidy glory. Their kids live the life of heathens and these moms don't blink an eye. Breakfast is usually cold pizza and Kool-aid because there hasn't been milk in the house for weeks. They're laid back like the Beta Mom, but take it to the nth degree. Usually cool to party with for a few hours at the local summertime beer tent when you're at the peak of a short-lived midlife crisis (who of us has time for a full-blown breakdown, anyway), long-term friendship is out of the question when you're a serious parent. These girls are reputation killers. Think Peg Bundy ("Married, With Children"), Roseanne Conner ("Roseanne") or Nancy Botwin ("Weeds").
Where motherhood, tenacity and advocacy meet. [http://www.alphamomfia.com]Alphamomfia.com is a blog written by Julie Harris, who left a successful career in sales to advocate on behalf of one of her sons, who battles with anxiety. She muses about life, children and gardening and also provides a resource for parents wanting to advocate on behalf of their own children. Funny, insightful and irreverent, Alphamomfia is worth checking out! Alphamomfia represents a whole new breed of [http://alphamomfia.com]Alpha Mom.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?An-A-Z-Guide-to-Mom-Types:-From-Alpha-Mom-to-Zeta-Mom-and-Everything-In-Between&id=6506964] An A-Z Guide to Mom Types: From Alpha Mom to Zeta Mom and Everything In Between
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Important Breastfeeding Tool for Your Newborn
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Carol_Marley]Carol Marley
Many newborn babies are what we call lazy nursers. They have a weak suck or fall asleep at the breast rather than actively nursing for a full feeding. This is especially true of preemies and babies who weigh less than 7 lbs at birth. Worried new parents often decide to give a bottle because of concern about slow weight gain or fear that baby is not getting enough. Unfortunately traditional bottles can often make the problem worse and sabotage successful breastfeeding.
Many new breastfeeding moms find themselves using a bottle for one reason or another. It can be a great way to let mom get some sleep while your partner has some bonding time with the baby. The only problem is that bottles function in an entirely different way than the breast. Baby only has to give a few small sucks and milk flows freely so that all baby has to do is swallow. The position and action of babies tongue is also completely different with the bottle than the breast. This can cause some confusion for baby and can ultimately lead to baby rejecting the breast or milk supply problems due to an improper latch and sucking technique.
I frequently recommend to my breastfeeding clients that they use Medela Haberman Feeders for the first four weeks of breastfeeding. These bottles are actually made for babies that have a cleft palate. It has a longer teat type nipple with a slit-valve in the mouthpiece that opens only when baby sucks. The flow of milk is determined by babies sucking and position of the teat in baby's mouth just like when your baby is breastfeeding. There is absolutely no back flow in these bottle so no air for baby to swallow. These are a little pricey but I believe worth it for moms who are serious about breastfeeding, have babies with a weak suck or babies with reflux. They also make a mini size one for premature babies. Feedings with the Haberman Feeder will take longer than with a traditional bottle because baby has to actively suck for milk to be released.
I have also used the Haberman Feeder bottle to transistion babies who have developed nipple confusion back to successful breast feeding. The action of the nipple on this special feeder most closely mimics the action of breastfeeding. You can purchase these bottles online. You may also be able to find them at your local lactation center.
Carol Marley, Professional Birth & Postpartum Doula, Certified Infant Specialist, http://www.sadoula.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Important-Breastfeeding-Tool-for-Your-Newborn&id=6523255] Important Breastfeeding Tool for Your Newborn
Many newborn babies are what we call lazy nursers. They have a weak suck or fall asleep at the breast rather than actively nursing for a full feeding. This is especially true of preemies and babies who weigh less than 7 lbs at birth. Worried new parents often decide to give a bottle because of concern about slow weight gain or fear that baby is not getting enough. Unfortunately traditional bottles can often make the problem worse and sabotage successful breastfeeding.
Many new breastfeeding moms find themselves using a bottle for one reason or another. It can be a great way to let mom get some sleep while your partner has some bonding time with the baby. The only problem is that bottles function in an entirely different way than the breast. Baby only has to give a few small sucks and milk flows freely so that all baby has to do is swallow. The position and action of babies tongue is also completely different with the bottle than the breast. This can cause some confusion for baby and can ultimately lead to baby rejecting the breast or milk supply problems due to an improper latch and sucking technique.
I frequently recommend to my breastfeeding clients that they use Medela Haberman Feeders for the first four weeks of breastfeeding. These bottles are actually made for babies that have a cleft palate. It has a longer teat type nipple with a slit-valve in the mouthpiece that opens only when baby sucks. The flow of milk is determined by babies sucking and position of the teat in baby's mouth just like when your baby is breastfeeding. There is absolutely no back flow in these bottle so no air for baby to swallow. These are a little pricey but I believe worth it for moms who are serious about breastfeeding, have babies with a weak suck or babies with reflux. They also make a mini size one for premature babies. Feedings with the Haberman Feeder will take longer than with a traditional bottle because baby has to actively suck for milk to be released.
I have also used the Haberman Feeder bottle to transistion babies who have developed nipple confusion back to successful breast feeding. The action of the nipple on this special feeder most closely mimics the action of breastfeeding. You can purchase these bottles online. You may also be able to find them at your local lactation center.
Carol Marley, Professional Birth & Postpartum Doula, Certified Infant Specialist, http://www.sadoula.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Important-Breastfeeding-Tool-for-Your-Newborn&id=6523255] Important Breastfeeding Tool for Your Newborn
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Breastfeeding or Feeding Your Baby From a Bottle?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Brenna_Welker]Brenna Welker
Normally, you get very excited as soon as you know that you are going to have a baby - everyone actually does. While he/she is still in your tummy, you tend to do a lot of preparations like purchasing some baby clothes, toys and other stuffs that your baby will need when he/she comes out in this world. But among all the things that you should be prepared of, it is very important that you do not forget to decide on how you are going to feed your baby. When it comes to this matter, you actually have two main options to take into consideration - breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.
Just like what everyone says, breastfeeding is always best for babies and this is something that's unarguably true. Breastfeeding is associated with a lot of advantages for your little one considering that breast milk is the perfect food for your baby. Breast milk is actually the most nutritious food that you can give to your baby because it contains all the vitamins and minerals that your baby's body needs. In addition, breast milk also contains antibodies which will be of great help in protecting your baby from various types of diseases considering that your baby is very vulnerable to infectious diseases. Aside from the benefits that breastfeeding can provide to your baby, it is also beneficial for you. When you get pregnant, you normally gain a lot of weight and you would want to get rid of it as soon as you give birth. When you breastfeed, you will burn a lot of calories and it will also help shrink your uterus. Thus, you will be able to lose the extra weight easily and better yet, you can protect yourself from breast and ovarian cancer.
However, breastfeeding may not be possible for everyone mother. There are some mothers that do not prefer breastfeeding, there are those that are not able to produce the enough amount of milk and there are babies that do not want to be breastfed. So if you belong to any of these situations, the next best option for you to take into consideration is bottle-feeding. You can purchase infant formulas that are readily available in a lot of department stores and then place it inside a feeding bottle. Just like breast milk, commercially prepared infant formulas are also nutritious but it does not have an identical composition with breast milk. Bottle-feeding is not that bad at all because this will give you more freedom and flexibility. You will be able to do a lot of other things while you are feeding your baby at the same time. You would also know the exact amount that our baby is getting and you only have to give him/her fewer feedings because your baby digests the formula slowly compared to breast milk.
So if you are able to breastfeed your baby, it is best that you stick with breastfeeding until he/she reaches the right age to eat baby foods. But if this is not possible or if you choose not to breastfeed your baby, you can make use of a feeding bottle and a commercially prepared infant formula as soon as he/she comes out.
Brenna Welker enjoys writing for Crazy Baby Clothing Company which sells [http://www.crazybabyclothing.com/]punk baby clothes and [http://www.crazybabyclothing.com/camo-baby-clothes-c-26.html]camo baby clothes as well as a host of additional products.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Breastfeeding-or-Feeding-Your-Baby-From-a-Bottle?&id=6529530] Breastfeeding or Feeding Your Baby From a Bottle?
Normally, you get very excited as soon as you know that you are going to have a baby - everyone actually does. While he/she is still in your tummy, you tend to do a lot of preparations like purchasing some baby clothes, toys and other stuffs that your baby will need when he/she comes out in this world. But among all the things that you should be prepared of, it is very important that you do not forget to decide on how you are going to feed your baby. When it comes to this matter, you actually have two main options to take into consideration - breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.
Just like what everyone says, breastfeeding is always best for babies and this is something that's unarguably true. Breastfeeding is associated with a lot of advantages for your little one considering that breast milk is the perfect food for your baby. Breast milk is actually the most nutritious food that you can give to your baby because it contains all the vitamins and minerals that your baby's body needs. In addition, breast milk also contains antibodies which will be of great help in protecting your baby from various types of diseases considering that your baby is very vulnerable to infectious diseases. Aside from the benefits that breastfeeding can provide to your baby, it is also beneficial for you. When you get pregnant, you normally gain a lot of weight and you would want to get rid of it as soon as you give birth. When you breastfeed, you will burn a lot of calories and it will also help shrink your uterus. Thus, you will be able to lose the extra weight easily and better yet, you can protect yourself from breast and ovarian cancer.
However, breastfeeding may not be possible for everyone mother. There are some mothers that do not prefer breastfeeding, there are those that are not able to produce the enough amount of milk and there are babies that do not want to be breastfed. So if you belong to any of these situations, the next best option for you to take into consideration is bottle-feeding. You can purchase infant formulas that are readily available in a lot of department stores and then place it inside a feeding bottle. Just like breast milk, commercially prepared infant formulas are also nutritious but it does not have an identical composition with breast milk. Bottle-feeding is not that bad at all because this will give you more freedom and flexibility. You will be able to do a lot of other things while you are feeding your baby at the same time. You would also know the exact amount that our baby is getting and you only have to give him/her fewer feedings because your baby digests the formula slowly compared to breast milk.
So if you are able to breastfeed your baby, it is best that you stick with breastfeeding until he/she reaches the right age to eat baby foods. But if this is not possible or if you choose not to breastfeed your baby, you can make use of a feeding bottle and a commercially prepared infant formula as soon as he/she comes out.
Brenna Welker enjoys writing for Crazy Baby Clothing Company which sells [http://www.crazybabyclothing.com/]punk baby clothes and [http://www.crazybabyclothing.com/camo-baby-clothes-c-26.html]camo baby clothes as well as a host of additional products.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Breastfeeding-or-Feeding-Your-Baby-From-a-Bottle?&id=6529530] Breastfeeding or Feeding Your Baby From a Bottle?
Monday, February 6, 2012
The Qualities of a Mom
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_Charest]John Charest
My wife and the mother of my three boys has always been one of my great inspirations.
For the past twenty years I've watched in utter amazement at how she selflessly gives of herself, her love and support to our children and our family in all that she does.
Through all of the ups and downs that life has handed our family, she's held a steady course, unwavering in her dedication and commitment to the success of our marriage and the strength of our family.
I can't help but remind myself of all the mothers around the world who start out each day with the strength and determination to silently work to make their families work...All the mothers who tirelessly and without expectation give every ounce of energy to their children, husbands and families.
Mothers are truly one of Gods most beautiful life giving creations. She holds a special beauty like no other and her own heart reflects the love of God.
Moms have been blessed with strength like no other. They've been known to bare the weight of the family squarely on their shoulders guided by a fortress of loyalty to the family values they hold close to their heart.
Mothers are like the sun that brings warmth to the home and their children's heart. Each one brings a quality that is unique planting the seeds where a family will grow.
She teaches her children values, the very values that will guide them to who they will eventually become.
She listens and consoles when her children's world feels like it's crumbling down and gives a hug when only a hug is needed.
She offers support and nurturing when they're needed and she shields her children when they need protection.
From the amazing and wondrous workings of her body she gives life and continues to give it through her love for her children and her family. To her children she represents love, support, nurturing, kindness, happiness, joy, laughter, guidance, tenderness, loyalty, giving, sacrifice, teaching and so much more.
It's important to the success of all mothers that our society never take for granted or make light of the incredible impact that all mothers have on us as individuals and our families and ultimately on society as a whole.
Celebrating moms should never be something reserved only for Mother's Day. The relationship with your mother is something that should always be protected, strengthened and honored...Even if it requires healing and forgiveness.
I pray that all mothers are blessed each and every day with the adoring love of their families for the incredible work that they do. May they also be blessed with the understanding of the profound impact their good work has on building strong families and the ultimate impact on society.
We are all products of the sacrifices that our mothers have made for us and although today is not Mother's Day, it should never be used as an excuse to thank her for all she's done.
We must always stand firm in our values to revere, honor and respect the sanctity that is motherhood.
John Charest is the author of hundreds of exclusive daily inspirational quotes created to inspire people to achieve success in life, [http://www.daily-inspirational-quotes.net/positive-parenting.html]positive parenting and build stronger families. His website Your Daily Inspiration http://www.daily-inspirational-quotes.net offers his uniquely created quotes each weekday and serves up thousands of pages to over 90 countries on tips, strategies and ideas for inspiring a better self, better parent and stronger family.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Qualities-of-a-Mom&id=6467798] The Qualities of a Mom
My wife and the mother of my three boys has always been one of my great inspirations.
For the past twenty years I've watched in utter amazement at how she selflessly gives of herself, her love and support to our children and our family in all that she does.
Through all of the ups and downs that life has handed our family, she's held a steady course, unwavering in her dedication and commitment to the success of our marriage and the strength of our family.
I can't help but remind myself of all the mothers around the world who start out each day with the strength and determination to silently work to make their families work...All the mothers who tirelessly and without expectation give every ounce of energy to their children, husbands and families.
Mothers are truly one of Gods most beautiful life giving creations. She holds a special beauty like no other and her own heart reflects the love of God.
Moms have been blessed with strength like no other. They've been known to bare the weight of the family squarely on their shoulders guided by a fortress of loyalty to the family values they hold close to their heart.
Mothers are like the sun that brings warmth to the home and their children's heart. Each one brings a quality that is unique planting the seeds where a family will grow.
She teaches her children values, the very values that will guide them to who they will eventually become.
She listens and consoles when her children's world feels like it's crumbling down and gives a hug when only a hug is needed.
She offers support and nurturing when they're needed and she shields her children when they need protection.
From the amazing and wondrous workings of her body she gives life and continues to give it through her love for her children and her family. To her children she represents love, support, nurturing, kindness, happiness, joy, laughter, guidance, tenderness, loyalty, giving, sacrifice, teaching and so much more.
It's important to the success of all mothers that our society never take for granted or make light of the incredible impact that all mothers have on us as individuals and our families and ultimately on society as a whole.
Celebrating moms should never be something reserved only for Mother's Day. The relationship with your mother is something that should always be protected, strengthened and honored...Even if it requires healing and forgiveness.
I pray that all mothers are blessed each and every day with the adoring love of their families for the incredible work that they do. May they also be blessed with the understanding of the profound impact their good work has on building strong families and the ultimate impact on society.
We are all products of the sacrifices that our mothers have made for us and although today is not Mother's Day, it should never be used as an excuse to thank her for all she's done.
We must always stand firm in our values to revere, honor and respect the sanctity that is motherhood.
John Charest is the author of hundreds of exclusive daily inspirational quotes created to inspire people to achieve success in life, [http://www.daily-inspirational-quotes.net/positive-parenting.html]positive parenting and build stronger families. His website Your Daily Inspiration http://www.daily-inspirational-quotes.net offers his uniquely created quotes each weekday and serves up thousands of pages to over 90 countries on tips, strategies and ideas for inspiring a better self, better parent and stronger family.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Qualities-of-a-Mom&id=6467798] The Qualities of a Mom
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Mothering in Recovery
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eleanor_R]Eleanor R
It took three days to give birth to Her. She started coming on a Friday afternoon while my mother and I were at the movies watching Kalifornia. It was a bloody, violent movie and I really do not know how we ended up there watching it in the first place. But, about a third of the way into it, there was a vicious stabbing of one of the main characters and suddenly with the reflex of my emotion at exactly that moment when the knife went into the victim, my water broke. A gushing of water came out of me and landed on the theatre floor and all over my gold sandals. It was summer.
My mother stood up from her theatre seat and shouted for someone to call 911. I pulled her to sit back down and made my apologies to those around us. I told my mother that we had 24 hours after my water had broken to get to the hospital. I did not need an ambulance. Knowledge is power. My husband met us at the hospital. I began to go into labor that evening the Friday before Labor day weekend. I did not know then, that the birth would be a marathon of sorts. Of course I would not accept any mood altering drugs because I wanted a clean and sober baby. So I did what I could until the bitter end.
She wouldn't come. She would not leave me. She hung on for dear life, after three days, with a C-section and what looked like a crow bar for a car tire, they wedged Her out of me. She was beautiful. She had the coloring of a Greek Princess and the sparkling eyes of a Buddha....she was perfect. A Goddess was born. I took her home and became her rock.
As you may expect, she changed our lives forever. Going to 12 Step meetings and working the Steps was now even more critical. I was raising a human. I did not want to raise her in the shadows of the twisted and perverse relationships that one finds in most alcoholic/addict homes. My husband and I promised never to squash her spirit. I needed lots of reinforcements there since I was basically raised in a home that required maximum invisibility and emotional contortion with my alcoholic father and my emotionally ill mother. I had to have help.
Because of her I took parenting classes, learned to meditate, read every book I could find on helping a human come into being and worked the Steps with my Sponsor over and over again, remaining current especially on Step 10. I was terrified I would do it wrong, so I always made an effort to do it right. Mostly we kept our word. With both girls we did what we said and we said what we did. They never had to "guess" at my meaning or emotions. I did not raise them with the "coded language" of my very dysfunctional family of origin. Or the subtext of fear, sadness, anger and disappointment that permeated our home for years when I was a child. I raised them with intention and attention to their souls.
The best proof that I was on track was that once while traveling in Israel after a particularly harrowing visit to the Holocaust Museum, the girls began to tell me and their father how difficult their lives had been (they were 12 and 15). I looked at them in shock realizing that all the sadness and trauma of the museum must have stirred up some pretty strong emotions for them. So, I asked them if I had done anything right? She looked at me with great love and innocence and she said, "Mom, your try...............you really try."
Almost 18 years later to the day- I dropped her off at college. Coincidentally, that took a long weekend as well. We started out on a Friday morning with a cross country flight. She told me everything that was on her mind and answered some of my questions about relationships and substance experimentation. We had the time and space to have a long heart to heart conversation. I was not pained as I was at her birth, by any part of this experience. I thought I would be. I thought that the first time I learned that she had tried alcohol that I would combust or disappear out of fear. But, I did not. I thought I would weep at the thought of leaving her. However, my own years in recovery and working the 12 Steps helped me to see it for what it was and not to react out of proportion. I trust her.
She laid her head on my lap for the last 10 minutes of our journey on the plane dissension into JFK. I rubbed her head. I played with her spiky red hair. I loved her with my eyes: her gauges, her nose piercing and her lip piercing. I even loved the multiple ear piercings in the cartilage areas. No heartache? Where did it go? She laid on my lap and I just 100% loved her. She is my beautiful woman Goddess now. She is my teacher and my heart's great love. At that moment, like childbirth, I had no memory of the long nights caring for Her while sick, waiting for her to come home as a teenager, wondering what she would pierce next, the angst of choosing the right schools, the right caretakers and the right parenting style. It was as if I was floating in heaven.
We got there and promptly went to Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond to buy college dorm room stuff. It was pandemonium because Hurricane Irene was afoot. People were buying up everything- water, batteries, canned goods, milk. We just needed a trash can, a desk lamp and some bedding. It was surreal to see and feel the distress of the New Yorkers in what was being billed as a pending State of Emergency. We weathered it together with the subtext of her just now also experiencing the biggest change of her life.
We got to the hotel and went to bed exhausted. The next morning we got up and went to the college. She began to express some of her fears about making friends. We moved her in without fanfare or stress. Once we stepped onto the campus we entered another world. The world of private school academia. As we were walking towards the college She looked at me and she said, "Mom I am so glad that I do not have to worry about being embarrassed by my parent today. I am so nervous, but because you are so beautiful and have so much integrity, I do not have to worry about being embarrassed by you."
I knew at that moment that all of my effort, personal discipline and sacrifice had been worth it. My daughter was proud of me and she could count on me. I had demonstrated a healthy mother in Recovery. I had not expected any of these gifts. Truly I was humbled. She did pay attention. I could see that she respected me very much as she respects herself.
She has gone from my womb to my home and now to Her dream college and soon she will be home for the holidays, the summers and if we are lucky maybe even after college for a bit. This labor of love has been the most rewarding of my life. I imagined the full circle that had just been executed. I imagined the end to the family dysfunction that I had been raised with and how I supported her to make her dreams come true. She did not run screaming from our family home as soon as she was 18 and a high school graduate and vowing to never move back, as I had.
I took her across the country and made sure she had everything She needed and then I let her go. I am truly in awe of how much I have grown up and how the Universe has supported my dream of making her dreams come true. As a woman in Recovery I keep my word and I am there for my children. I can be depended upon. I am the last person my children and husband need to worry about. I am solid. Almost 18 years later, another long weekend of giving birth to a new life, but his time, it was the birth of a strong and powerful woman. She is soaring now and the rock is returning home to provide a soft landing when the time is right.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Mothering-in-Recovery&id=6527419] Mothering in Recovery
It took three days to give birth to Her. She started coming on a Friday afternoon while my mother and I were at the movies watching Kalifornia. It was a bloody, violent movie and I really do not know how we ended up there watching it in the first place. But, about a third of the way into it, there was a vicious stabbing of one of the main characters and suddenly with the reflex of my emotion at exactly that moment when the knife went into the victim, my water broke. A gushing of water came out of me and landed on the theatre floor and all over my gold sandals. It was summer.
My mother stood up from her theatre seat and shouted for someone to call 911. I pulled her to sit back down and made my apologies to those around us. I told my mother that we had 24 hours after my water had broken to get to the hospital. I did not need an ambulance. Knowledge is power. My husband met us at the hospital. I began to go into labor that evening the Friday before Labor day weekend. I did not know then, that the birth would be a marathon of sorts. Of course I would not accept any mood altering drugs because I wanted a clean and sober baby. So I did what I could until the bitter end.
She wouldn't come. She would not leave me. She hung on for dear life, after three days, with a C-section and what looked like a crow bar for a car tire, they wedged Her out of me. She was beautiful. She had the coloring of a Greek Princess and the sparkling eyes of a Buddha....she was perfect. A Goddess was born. I took her home and became her rock.
As you may expect, she changed our lives forever. Going to 12 Step meetings and working the Steps was now even more critical. I was raising a human. I did not want to raise her in the shadows of the twisted and perverse relationships that one finds in most alcoholic/addict homes. My husband and I promised never to squash her spirit. I needed lots of reinforcements there since I was basically raised in a home that required maximum invisibility and emotional contortion with my alcoholic father and my emotionally ill mother. I had to have help.
Because of her I took parenting classes, learned to meditate, read every book I could find on helping a human come into being and worked the Steps with my Sponsor over and over again, remaining current especially on Step 10. I was terrified I would do it wrong, so I always made an effort to do it right. Mostly we kept our word. With both girls we did what we said and we said what we did. They never had to "guess" at my meaning or emotions. I did not raise them with the "coded language" of my very dysfunctional family of origin. Or the subtext of fear, sadness, anger and disappointment that permeated our home for years when I was a child. I raised them with intention and attention to their souls.
The best proof that I was on track was that once while traveling in Israel after a particularly harrowing visit to the Holocaust Museum, the girls began to tell me and their father how difficult their lives had been (they were 12 and 15). I looked at them in shock realizing that all the sadness and trauma of the museum must have stirred up some pretty strong emotions for them. So, I asked them if I had done anything right? She looked at me with great love and innocence and she said, "Mom, your try...............you really try."
Almost 18 years later to the day- I dropped her off at college. Coincidentally, that took a long weekend as well. We started out on a Friday morning with a cross country flight. She told me everything that was on her mind and answered some of my questions about relationships and substance experimentation. We had the time and space to have a long heart to heart conversation. I was not pained as I was at her birth, by any part of this experience. I thought I would be. I thought that the first time I learned that she had tried alcohol that I would combust or disappear out of fear. But, I did not. I thought I would weep at the thought of leaving her. However, my own years in recovery and working the 12 Steps helped me to see it for what it was and not to react out of proportion. I trust her.
She laid her head on my lap for the last 10 minutes of our journey on the plane dissension into JFK. I rubbed her head. I played with her spiky red hair. I loved her with my eyes: her gauges, her nose piercing and her lip piercing. I even loved the multiple ear piercings in the cartilage areas. No heartache? Where did it go? She laid on my lap and I just 100% loved her. She is my beautiful woman Goddess now. She is my teacher and my heart's great love. At that moment, like childbirth, I had no memory of the long nights caring for Her while sick, waiting for her to come home as a teenager, wondering what she would pierce next, the angst of choosing the right schools, the right caretakers and the right parenting style. It was as if I was floating in heaven.
We got there and promptly went to Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond to buy college dorm room stuff. It was pandemonium because Hurricane Irene was afoot. People were buying up everything- water, batteries, canned goods, milk. We just needed a trash can, a desk lamp and some bedding. It was surreal to see and feel the distress of the New Yorkers in what was being billed as a pending State of Emergency. We weathered it together with the subtext of her just now also experiencing the biggest change of her life.
We got to the hotel and went to bed exhausted. The next morning we got up and went to the college. She began to express some of her fears about making friends. We moved her in without fanfare or stress. Once we stepped onto the campus we entered another world. The world of private school academia. As we were walking towards the college She looked at me and she said, "Mom I am so glad that I do not have to worry about being embarrassed by my parent today. I am so nervous, but because you are so beautiful and have so much integrity, I do not have to worry about being embarrassed by you."
I knew at that moment that all of my effort, personal discipline and sacrifice had been worth it. My daughter was proud of me and she could count on me. I had demonstrated a healthy mother in Recovery. I had not expected any of these gifts. Truly I was humbled. She did pay attention. I could see that she respected me very much as she respects herself.
She has gone from my womb to my home and now to Her dream college and soon she will be home for the holidays, the summers and if we are lucky maybe even after college for a bit. This labor of love has been the most rewarding of my life. I imagined the full circle that had just been executed. I imagined the end to the family dysfunction that I had been raised with and how I supported her to make her dreams come true. She did not run screaming from our family home as soon as she was 18 and a high school graduate and vowing to never move back, as I had.
I took her across the country and made sure she had everything She needed and then I let her go. I am truly in awe of how much I have grown up and how the Universe has supported my dream of making her dreams come true. As a woman in Recovery I keep my word and I am there for my children. I can be depended upon. I am the last person my children and husband need to worry about. I am solid. Almost 18 years later, another long weekend of giving birth to a new life, but his time, it was the birth of a strong and powerful woman. She is soaring now and the rock is returning home to provide a soft landing when the time is right.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Mothering-in-Recovery&id=6527419] Mothering in Recovery
Thursday, February 2, 2012
C-Section Adhesions: What Every Woman Must Know
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_McGee]Elizabeth McGee
One of the biggest side effects of a surgical birth are the C-Section adhesions you are left with.
Adhesions are filmy, sticky, tentacle like internal fibrous scar tissue structures that begin to grow immediately after surgery, these adhesion fibers are a way for the body to heal itself.
The unfortunate thing about adhesions that result from having a C-Section are that they can attach themselves to your organs such as your uterus, ovaries, intestines, bowels, and other organs. When this happens it can cause intense chronic pain, infertility or even bowel obstruction.
C-Section adhesions are not a problem for every woman; in fact I've had two c-sections myself and have never had a problem with adhesions. But they can and do become a problem for many people.
A good example of how adhesions can cause problems was when a family member of mine had his appendix removed when he was 13 years old. Strangely enough when he was 76 he had an obstructed bowel which the doctors told him was the result of adhesions that had entangled his intestines from the appendectomy he had at age 13.
The interesting thing about adhesions is that they continue to grow for several years after surgery.
Surgical adhesions can cause pain as well as blockages. Once they attach themselves to your organs they can grow like a vine choking a tree. They can even grow to a point where they have their own blood vessels and nerve endings. They can cause so many different pains in so many different ways that they are hard to diagnose.
Unfortunately, if you think that you have adhesions as a result of having a c-section, your OB/Gyn will often treat your pain as it relates to his expertise. For example, doctors will treat a pain in the gastro intestinal area as though there was a problem with your intestines and send you to a GI doctor. When the pain is asymptomatic or in multiple areas, they get stumped, this can lead to exploratory surgery where they don't even know what they are looking for.
So what can you do now if adhesions are causing your pain and discomfort?
Because adhesions are hard to detect with the usual CT Scan, MRI, or X-ray, medical personnel cannot get a good diagnosis and usually have to begin a series of healing by process of elimination, which can take a very long time.
- Post surgery massage therapy has also been advocated and claimed to work which makes sense to me just as moving around does for preventing the adhesions from sticking.
- Avoid C-Section Adhesions with Yoga Exercises. Yoga is ideal for just about anything connected to healing and achieving that overall feeling of peace, but it can also help relieve C-Section adhesions.
Yoga poses and stretches, like the forward bend, the cat/cow stretch, the cobra pose and side twists will strengthen and tone muscles and can keep your incision flexible while also keeping it from getting tight and uncomfortable.
- Stretching for C-Section Adhesion Pain Relief. Daily stretching is another way to soften adhesion fibers. Pelvic tilts are gentle but effective exercises that are excellent for stretching the areas of the adhesions that need the most attention.
Never stretch too rigorously. Take care to stretch gently and move slowly. If something hurts or doesn't feel right, don't do it.
Things that can help prevent adhesions from Occurring in the first place
First of all YOU must be your own best advocate with your doctor. If you are pregnant or are thinking about becoming pregnant, you owe it to yourself and your baby to educate yourself on childbirth and the possibility that a C-Section could occur.
Discuss everything with your doctor. Remember that you are in charge of and have responsibility for your own health. The doctor is there to assist YOU with your health goals, not the other way around.
- Inquire with your doctor about using adhesion blockers. This is barrier material that doctors can use to help reduce the effects of adhesions.
For example, use of a material called Seprafilm, an adhesion barrier, has been shown to reduce internal adhesions after open abdominal surgery. This is something you should talk to your doctor about.
- Closing up the peritoneum. This is a surgical technique that helps minimize tissue injury and contamination of the wound, but it's also been found to reduce adhesions.
On closing the peritoneum, a study in 2005 by Stanford University has found that women who have had the peritoneum closed as part of their first c-section delivery are as much as five times less likely to develop adhesions than those who had theirs left open as is the common practice today.
This is possibly why I have not had any issues myself with adhesions as my doctor closed the peritoneum. Personally, after discussing this with my doctor, I think this may be one of the most significant things you can insist upon to help your future health in the event you must have a c-section.
- The type of incision can make a difference. A report by Mathai M, Hofmeyr GJ of The Cochrane Collaborative states that using a Joel-Cohen incision, a specific type of incision used for C-Sections can result in "... less fever, pain and analgesic requirements; less blood loss; shorter duration of surgery and hospital stay. This is another factor to discuss with your doctor as part of your preparation plan.
- Prepare and Stay Positive. Your mental and spiritual outlook plays a major role in your ability to heal. For me personally, my first C-Section took a toll on my body and my mind. My postpartum depression was high and my pain was severe. I'm convinced that if I had been prepared for having a C-Section and understood the complications and what to expect, my outcome would have been much different.
My second c-section was much better. Two weeks tops on the full recovery compared to two months and more with my first. Most of that, I believe, is simply because I knew what to expect, so the mental stress was greatly reduced.
If you are a spiritual person, you too will likely be better off than someone who did not take the time to prepare physically and mentally.
My final thoughts for you are that in the event of a c-section delivery I have helped you understand the importance of preparation and discussion with your doctor so that your C-Section becomes the miraculous joyful event that it's meant to be.
Elizabeth McGee is the author of the Worry Free C-Section, [http://www.worry-free-c-section.com]a C-Section Guide. Elizabeth is also the author and editor of the [http://www.worry-free-c-section.com/blog]C-Section blog which provides essential C-Section topics, news, recovery help, planning and support for C-Section moms.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?C-Section-Adhesions:-What-Every-Woman-Must-Know&id=6531621] C-Section Adhesions: What Every Woman Must Know
One of the biggest side effects of a surgical birth are the C-Section adhesions you are left with.
Adhesions are filmy, sticky, tentacle like internal fibrous scar tissue structures that begin to grow immediately after surgery, these adhesion fibers are a way for the body to heal itself.
The unfortunate thing about adhesions that result from having a C-Section are that they can attach themselves to your organs such as your uterus, ovaries, intestines, bowels, and other organs. When this happens it can cause intense chronic pain, infertility or even bowel obstruction.
C-Section adhesions are not a problem for every woman; in fact I've had two c-sections myself and have never had a problem with adhesions. But they can and do become a problem for many people.
A good example of how adhesions can cause problems was when a family member of mine had his appendix removed when he was 13 years old. Strangely enough when he was 76 he had an obstructed bowel which the doctors told him was the result of adhesions that had entangled his intestines from the appendectomy he had at age 13.
The interesting thing about adhesions is that they continue to grow for several years after surgery.
Surgical adhesions can cause pain as well as blockages. Once they attach themselves to your organs they can grow like a vine choking a tree. They can even grow to a point where they have their own blood vessels and nerve endings. They can cause so many different pains in so many different ways that they are hard to diagnose.
Unfortunately, if you think that you have adhesions as a result of having a c-section, your OB/Gyn will often treat your pain as it relates to his expertise. For example, doctors will treat a pain in the gastro intestinal area as though there was a problem with your intestines and send you to a GI doctor. When the pain is asymptomatic or in multiple areas, they get stumped, this can lead to exploratory surgery where they don't even know what they are looking for.
So what can you do now if adhesions are causing your pain and discomfort?
Because adhesions are hard to detect with the usual CT Scan, MRI, or X-ray, medical personnel cannot get a good diagnosis and usually have to begin a series of healing by process of elimination, which can take a very long time.
- Post surgery massage therapy has also been advocated and claimed to work which makes sense to me just as moving around does for preventing the adhesions from sticking.
- Avoid C-Section Adhesions with Yoga Exercises. Yoga is ideal for just about anything connected to healing and achieving that overall feeling of peace, but it can also help relieve C-Section adhesions.
Yoga poses and stretches, like the forward bend, the cat/cow stretch, the cobra pose and side twists will strengthen and tone muscles and can keep your incision flexible while also keeping it from getting tight and uncomfortable.
- Stretching for C-Section Adhesion Pain Relief. Daily stretching is another way to soften adhesion fibers. Pelvic tilts are gentle but effective exercises that are excellent for stretching the areas of the adhesions that need the most attention.
Never stretch too rigorously. Take care to stretch gently and move slowly. If something hurts or doesn't feel right, don't do it.
Things that can help prevent adhesions from Occurring in the first place
First of all YOU must be your own best advocate with your doctor. If you are pregnant or are thinking about becoming pregnant, you owe it to yourself and your baby to educate yourself on childbirth and the possibility that a C-Section could occur.
Discuss everything with your doctor. Remember that you are in charge of and have responsibility for your own health. The doctor is there to assist YOU with your health goals, not the other way around.
- Inquire with your doctor about using adhesion blockers. This is barrier material that doctors can use to help reduce the effects of adhesions.
For example, use of a material called Seprafilm, an adhesion barrier, has been shown to reduce internal adhesions after open abdominal surgery. This is something you should talk to your doctor about.
- Closing up the peritoneum. This is a surgical technique that helps minimize tissue injury and contamination of the wound, but it's also been found to reduce adhesions.
On closing the peritoneum, a study in 2005 by Stanford University has found that women who have had the peritoneum closed as part of their first c-section delivery are as much as five times less likely to develop adhesions than those who had theirs left open as is the common practice today.
This is possibly why I have not had any issues myself with adhesions as my doctor closed the peritoneum. Personally, after discussing this with my doctor, I think this may be one of the most significant things you can insist upon to help your future health in the event you must have a c-section.
- The type of incision can make a difference. A report by Mathai M, Hofmeyr GJ of The Cochrane Collaborative states that using a Joel-Cohen incision, a specific type of incision used for C-Sections can result in "... less fever, pain and analgesic requirements; less blood loss; shorter duration of surgery and hospital stay. This is another factor to discuss with your doctor as part of your preparation plan.
- Prepare and Stay Positive. Your mental and spiritual outlook plays a major role in your ability to heal. For me personally, my first C-Section took a toll on my body and my mind. My postpartum depression was high and my pain was severe. I'm convinced that if I had been prepared for having a C-Section and understood the complications and what to expect, my outcome would have been much different.
My second c-section was much better. Two weeks tops on the full recovery compared to two months and more with my first. Most of that, I believe, is simply because I knew what to expect, so the mental stress was greatly reduced.
If you are a spiritual person, you too will likely be better off than someone who did not take the time to prepare physically and mentally.
My final thoughts for you are that in the event of a c-section delivery I have helped you understand the importance of preparation and discussion with your doctor so that your C-Section becomes the miraculous joyful event that it's meant to be.
Elizabeth McGee is the author of the Worry Free C-Section, [http://www.worry-free-c-section.com]a C-Section Guide. Elizabeth is also the author and editor of the [http://www.worry-free-c-section.com/blog]C-Section blog which provides essential C-Section topics, news, recovery help, planning and support for C-Section moms.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?C-Section-Adhesions:-What-Every-Woman-Must-Know&id=6531621] C-Section Adhesions: What Every Woman Must Know
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Weaning Off Breastfeeding - Baby Food From the 6th to 9th Month
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tommy_O_Coffler]Tommy O Coffler
For my first daughter, I gave her solid food very late - just after 9 months - because of my family's advice on weaning. Breastfeeding, on the other hand, was stopped early due to medical problems (I developed mastitis - inflammation of the breasts via calcification of milk in the milk ducts - after my baby's fourth month).
I realized that the problem of weaning baby late to solids was that the baby takes more time to adjust, has slower chewing capabilities and becomes more picky when she grows up (as my daughter is now). And while I love her to bits, the problem of feeding her now that she's "grown-up" (she's turning 9 years old this month) is a bit of a problem for me. So for my second child (another daughter), I made sure that once she developed teeth and as soon as she reached 6 months, I gradually introduced her to solid foods.
If you have the same problem, you need not worry. Start your child on pureed foods. For my second child, I gave her iron-fortified baby rice cereal on the 6th month. To test if she's receptive to solids, I mixed 1 tablespoon of baby cereal with milk and water until I made it thin - something that resembled milk in a bowl. Made her sit on a high chair and fed her with a spoon. If she accepts it, then you continue feeding her. If she pushes the spoon and the food out of her mouth, it means she's just not ready yet, so stop and try giving it to her again after a couple of days.
Once successful, you can gradually make the food mix thicker. You can also give her pureed fruits and vegetables. Once you reach a paste-like consistency, then you can now give her mashed vegetables or fruits.
In trying out new foods, give it to her using the 4-day rule. Once you introduce a new food, allow 4 days for the food to take effect and observe if she develops a rash or an allergy to the food. If she has a tummy ache, immediately stop giving her whatever food you have and get her back to milk for a day, then give her the food that she's used to. You can try re-introducing the "trigger" food when she gets a bit older, say around 9 months.
When deciding what food to give to your baby, always make sure that it is safe and full of the necessary vitamins and minerals that your child needs.
Giving your child the right baby food in their first few months of solid feeding will help them develop a healthy appetite. Just remember that when you're [http://www.weaningbreastfeeding.com/Weaning-to-Solids-Food-Allergies.html]weaning to solids you may encounter some food allergies. Learn more about how to deal with these allergies by visiting [http://www.weaningbreastfeeding.com/]Weaning Breastfeeding today!
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Weaning-Off-Breastfeeding---Baby-Food-From-the-6th-to-9th-Month&id=6532732] Weaning Off Breastfeeding - Baby Food From the 6th to 9th Month
For my first daughter, I gave her solid food very late - just after 9 months - because of my family's advice on weaning. Breastfeeding, on the other hand, was stopped early due to medical problems (I developed mastitis - inflammation of the breasts via calcification of milk in the milk ducts - after my baby's fourth month).
I realized that the problem of weaning baby late to solids was that the baby takes more time to adjust, has slower chewing capabilities and becomes more picky when she grows up (as my daughter is now). And while I love her to bits, the problem of feeding her now that she's "grown-up" (she's turning 9 years old this month) is a bit of a problem for me. So for my second child (another daughter), I made sure that once she developed teeth and as soon as she reached 6 months, I gradually introduced her to solid foods.
If you have the same problem, you need not worry. Start your child on pureed foods. For my second child, I gave her iron-fortified baby rice cereal on the 6th month. To test if she's receptive to solids, I mixed 1 tablespoon of baby cereal with milk and water until I made it thin - something that resembled milk in a bowl. Made her sit on a high chair and fed her with a spoon. If she accepts it, then you continue feeding her. If she pushes the spoon and the food out of her mouth, it means she's just not ready yet, so stop and try giving it to her again after a couple of days.
Once successful, you can gradually make the food mix thicker. You can also give her pureed fruits and vegetables. Once you reach a paste-like consistency, then you can now give her mashed vegetables or fruits.
In trying out new foods, give it to her using the 4-day rule. Once you introduce a new food, allow 4 days for the food to take effect and observe if she develops a rash or an allergy to the food. If she has a tummy ache, immediately stop giving her whatever food you have and get her back to milk for a day, then give her the food that she's used to. You can try re-introducing the "trigger" food when she gets a bit older, say around 9 months.
When deciding what food to give to your baby, always make sure that it is safe and full of the necessary vitamins and minerals that your child needs.
Giving your child the right baby food in their first few months of solid feeding will help them develop a healthy appetite. Just remember that when you're [http://www.weaningbreastfeeding.com/Weaning-to-Solids-Food-Allergies.html]weaning to solids you may encounter some food allergies. Learn more about how to deal with these allergies by visiting [http://www.weaningbreastfeeding.com/]Weaning Breastfeeding today!
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Weaning-Off-Breastfeeding---Baby-Food-From-the-6th-to-9th-Month&id=6532732] Weaning Off Breastfeeding - Baby Food From the 6th to 9th Month
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)