Sunday, November 27, 2011
When a child is stressed........
I can honestly say that my grandmother did a great job of providing everything I needed in life. There was not a time when I needed anything whether it be food, shelter, clothing or money. However, there were times that I saw my close cousins being abused by their parents. A lot of the abuse was physical and mental such as them being called, bit*&%, and constantly cursed at. Cursing became part of their language because they would even curse in front of other adults and did not think it was wrong. Now that they are older it has taken a toll on their adult life. They have not progressed in life, such as graduating from highschool or even middle school. In Jamaica, where my family is from, the stress of growing up without a stable home and poverty is prevalent. Many children grow up on the street and fall into the political violence spreading through the parishes. Children grow up quickly and without formal education but is taught street life instead. There are many people here in the states that help their families and also help those in need through churches associated with the programs.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Breastfeeding vs. Formula
Breastfeeding is very essential to a child's life from birth up until two years of age. It is in my opinion that children who are breastfeed live a healthier life free from such things as ear infections, diarhea, and the common cold. As I researched more on breastfeeding I found the following:
"Infant formulas were never intended to be consumed on the widespread basis that they are today. They were conceived in the late 1800s as a means of providing necessary sustenance for foundlings and orphans who would otherwise have starved. In this narrow context – where no other food was available – formula was a lifesaver."(http://www.theecologist.org/trial_investigations/268337/breastmilk_vs_formula_food.html)
Now programs such as WIC that was created for woman to help provide the basic necessities such as milk, eggs and juice for the mothers to consume, are also providing this cheap form of milk for our children. I applaud the program for the effort and what they are helping to supply but it also gives a false impression to mother's that breastfeeding is not essential, in my opinion.
My sister had my nephew almost a year ago, his birthday is next week saturday, and he has not been sick at all since his birth. I asked her why do you continue to breastfeed Jelani, don't you think he is old enough to stop. He reply to me was, " my goal is to stop breastfeeding him when he is 18 months I refuse to give him anything else because I know what is in the milk I am providing." Breastfeeding counselors such as Mary Smale led me to ask her that question because she stated, "‘If anybody were to ask ‘which formula should I use?’ or ‘which is nearest to mother’s milk?’, the answer would be ‘nobody knows’ because there is not one single objective source of that kind of information provided by anybody. Only the manufacturers know what’s in their stuff, and they aren’t telling. They may advertise special ‘healthy’ ingredients like oligosaccharides, long-chain fatty acids or, a while ago, beta-carotene, but they never actually tell you what the basic product is made from or where the ingredients come from." (http://www.theecologist.org/trial_investigations/268337/breastmilk_vs_formula_food.html)
This topic is meaningful to me because parents who have young children must understand that it is very important to the health and well-being of their child that the best foods be given. The natural proteins and vitamins that is in breastmilk helps promote healthy brains cells and smarter children. The cost of breast milk when I had my first child was $5.00 a can now it up around $8.00 a can. In the UK I found that milk is $14 a pound versus 14 pence which is what they spend on government programs to promote breastfeeding. In underdeveloped countries such as Africa woman don't have to be told how important it is for them to breastfeed their child. First it is a traditional aspect of motherhood and woman can not afford the supplements.
"Infant formulas were never intended to be consumed on the widespread basis that they are today. They were conceived in the late 1800s as a means of providing necessary sustenance for foundlings and orphans who would otherwise have starved. In this narrow context – where no other food was available – formula was a lifesaver."(http://www.theecologist.org/trial_investigations/268337/breastmilk_vs_formula_food.html)
Now programs such as WIC that was created for woman to help provide the basic necessities such as milk, eggs and juice for the mothers to consume, are also providing this cheap form of milk for our children. I applaud the program for the effort and what they are helping to supply but it also gives a false impression to mother's that breastfeeding is not essential, in my opinion.
My sister had my nephew almost a year ago, his birthday is next week saturday, and he has not been sick at all since his birth. I asked her why do you continue to breastfeed Jelani, don't you think he is old enough to stop. He reply to me was, " my goal is to stop breastfeeding him when he is 18 months I refuse to give him anything else because I know what is in the milk I am providing." Breastfeeding counselors such as Mary Smale led me to ask her that question because she stated, "‘If anybody were to ask ‘which formula should I use?’ or ‘which is nearest to mother’s milk?’, the answer would be ‘nobody knows’ because there is not one single objective source of that kind of information provided by anybody. Only the manufacturers know what’s in their stuff, and they aren’t telling. They may advertise special ‘healthy’ ingredients like oligosaccharides, long-chain fatty acids or, a while ago, beta-carotene, but they never actually tell you what the basic product is made from or where the ingredients come from." (http://www.theecologist.org/trial_investigations/268337/breastmilk_vs_formula_food.html)
This topic is meaningful to me because parents who have young children must understand that it is very important to the health and well-being of their child that the best foods be given. The natural proteins and vitamins that is in breastmilk helps promote healthy brains cells and smarter children. The cost of breast milk when I had my first child was $5.00 a can now it up around $8.00 a can. In the UK I found that milk is $14 a pound versus 14 pence which is what they spend on government programs to promote breastfeeding. In underdeveloped countries such as Africa woman don't have to be told how important it is for them to breastfeed their child. First it is a traditional aspect of motherhood and woman can not afford the supplements.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Birth of Elijah E. Valcin
My first son was born on December 31, 1996 at Downstate hospital in Brooklyn, New York. The excitement of giving birth outweighed the pain during those first couple of hours at home. Once my water broke we rushed to the hospital hoping for a quick birth. However, it turned out to be the worse experience of my life. I arrived at the hospital around 9 am and suffered labor pains for about eight hours before the doctors decided I needed to have a c-section. Once the consent was documented and I met with the anesthiaologist they wheeled me into the operating room. Next thing I hears was a doctor instructoring another woman in scrubs, every step of the operation.
After about an hour, I heard the sweetest sound of my son's voice. They did not place him in my arms, they wheeled him away into another room. I was placed in a recovery hall filled with empty beds and surgerical equipment. None of my family members knew where I was until I was moved into my own room. After five days in the hospital with a wound literally covered with gauze I was released and sent home. Three weeks later, I was rushed back to the hospital because my incision began to bleed. For the next six months a nurse was assigned to come to my home each morning to attend to my open wound.
Postpartum set in immediately due to the fact I was in so much pain I was unable to bond with my son.
The birth of my child was not in a country with insufficient medical care or doctors such as maybe Africa, however, I felt I was treated terribly. Everyone assumed I was young according to the nurses who refused to help me out of bed to the restroom after removing my catheder, stating a seventeen year old like you can get up on her own, I was 22. Yet I was treated as if I were in a country that did not respect woman. I believe my son's illness three months later was the cause of complications I had during his birth. On the day of his christianing party he developed an infection they could not identify. He was hospitalized for seven days, and underwent multiple test the worst being a spinal tap.
Today he is a healthy fourteen year old, attending a prominent school and making straight A's. With the love of both myself, husband and other family members he has grown to be a wonderful child and I beileve he will be a great man.
After about an hour, I heard the sweetest sound of my son's voice. They did not place him in my arms, they wheeled him away into another room. I was placed in a recovery hall filled with empty beds and surgerical equipment. None of my family members knew where I was until I was moved into my own room. After five days in the hospital with a wound literally covered with gauze I was released and sent home. Three weeks later, I was rushed back to the hospital because my incision began to bleed. For the next six months a nurse was assigned to come to my home each morning to attend to my open wound.
Postpartum set in immediately due to the fact I was in so much pain I was unable to bond with my son.
The birth of my child was not in a country with insufficient medical care or doctors such as maybe Africa, however, I felt I was treated terribly. Everyone assumed I was young according to the nurses who refused to help me out of bed to the restroom after removing my catheder, stating a seventeen year old like you can get up on her own, I was 22. Yet I was treated as if I were in a country that did not respect woman. I believe my son's illness three months later was the cause of complications I had during his birth. On the day of his christianing party he developed an infection they could not identify. He was hospitalized for seven days, and underwent multiple test the worst being a spinal tap.
Today he is a healthy fourteen year old, attending a prominent school and making straight A's. With the love of both myself, husband and other family members he has grown to be a wonderful child and I beileve he will be a great man.
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