Parenting Report

Finding support groups for rare birth defects is very difficult. I unfortunately know this from experience. Just six short years ago I got pregnant with my first child. Everyone was so excited including me, especially when it came time for the first ultrasound at about three months. Anxiously, I looked at the screen while the tech glided the wand over my growing belly. I waited for him to begin telling me that every little part of my child looked perfect, one body part and organ at a time. But when he stayed completely silent until the moment he announced that he needed to go get a second opinion, my heart sank and the tears couldn’t be fought back. My daughter had gastroschisis. Her intestines were on the outside of her little developing body from a hole in her abdomen. Read more

While on the run of breastfeeding posts, I do have one more. Earlier I mentioned that there are health benefits for mothers in addition to the newborn and this is very true. Just like for our bundles of joy, our breastfeeding is very beneficial to us while we are breastfeeding and long after we are done and they are grown and out of the house. Read more

Wouldn't it be nice to have one place that moms could go to and find the perfect doula, lactation consultant and childbirth educators all in one place? Now you can and I have found them on Facebook. The next page/group that I have found to have great worth for parents to be and even seasoned parents is CAPPA (the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association). They are very informative on many different spectrums of the pregnancy and parenting world. Once you’re a fan, you’ll be hooked just simply by their news feed. Every day they send words of inspiration that are not only uplifting, but force you to reflect on all the heartfelt memories that have been created along your parenting path. Read more

New and experienced moms alike always find themselves looking for the best sites to provide them with the most up to date and accurate information as well as support. It’s not always the easiest task to tackle. Everything from what your child’s poopy diaper should or should not look like to breastfeeding in public, every mom out there can use some support. Facebook has turned out to be a wonderful outlet for finding support groups in every area imaginable. Over the next week, I will be posting and reviewing the best of the best and let you know which ones are worth your time and those that just simply don’t measure up. Read more

March 14 through 20 is Poison Prevention Week, a week during which we should all take note of poison prevention in our homes and general environments. Do you know the poison prevention number by heart? Have you ordered some “Mr. Yuck” stickers? If not, read on and take these actions to prevent poisoning in your family. Read more

I call it the Preemie Underground. It’s a whole world of premature babies and their unique health issues, rules, developmental milestones, and quirks—and their parents. Sure, you might hear about a baby with a low birth weight on Orpah or the nightly news, but you’ll never really “get” it until you’ve been to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and experienced it yourself. So you know you’re the parent of a preemie when…

Your doctors tell you that your baby’s first few months (at the very least) will be a “rollercoaster ride”—except that you love rollercoasters and this sure doesn’t bring you the same kind of thrills that the Screaming Eagle does.

Your first experience breastfeeding is with a hospital grade machine—and you tape a picture of your baby on it to help get the milk flowing. Read more

Get ready to bring out the Lucky Charms, pots of gold, and “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” Buttons—March is Irish American Heritage Month! A fun time for families all over the country, Irish American Heritage Month is also a fantastic holiday to use in celebrating your own Irish ancestry or learning more about Ireland altogether. Here are ten ways you can celebrate.

10. Cook it up the Irish way. From corn beef and cabbage to traditional Irish bread, see how many different Irish recipes you can make together this month. Other recipes you might want to try include Dublin Coddle, Pea and Ham Soup, and Blackberry Sorbet. Read more

This Sunday, February 28, marks an important holiday for imaginaries, thought wanderers, and creative dreamers everywhere—not to mention children! Tooth Fairy Day is a fun holiday to remember the importance of whimsy and imagination in childhood. Here are ten things you can do to celebrate with your little one. Read more

crosswords

Next week is American Crossword Puzzles Week. If you haven’t yet introduced your children to the joy of crossword puzzles, it might be a good time to start! Here are just some of the benefits of doing crossword puzzles:

• They’re fun—they provide intellectual stimulation in a game-like activity
• They utilize multiple skills, including vocabulary, spelling, and reasoning
• Crossword puzzles can help build new vocabulary words—as well as skills in using the dictionary and thesaurus
• Deductive reasoning and making choices are skills required to do crossword puzzles
• Multiple learning styles can be engaged in completing crossword puzzles
• Crossword puzzles keep the brain active and the mind and mood light

If you’d like to start doing crossword puzzles as a family—or to simply introduce them to your children—here are a few ideas. Read more

Scales of JusticeIn another divorce story about a disgruntled ex-husband with a chip on his shoulder, one Illinois father may be facing jail time for his outrageous behavior which threatens parents' right's and our legal system. In what appears to be an obvious attempt to offend and upset his soon to be ex-wife, Joseph Reyes recently took his Jewish daughter to a Catholic church to be baptized without her mother's knowledge then sent her a photo bragging about the event. After this unbelievable display, an Illinois judge issued a temporary restraining order against the 35 year old father to bar him from forcing his daughter to attend church with him or otherwise trying to indoctrinate her until the issue of custody could be settled. In a blatant disregard for the law, and the best interest of his child, he then invites the press to witness his violation of the court order and then cries foul. Read more