To breastfeed or not to feed…

Breastfeeding is an interesting topic because it is the one thing that associates us with the fact we are simply just a mammal like all others and just trying to feed our young. However, the choice to start the long road of trying to nurse your child or give into the manufactured way of feeding your offspring is one topic many people seem to think they should choose for you. Is one “better” than the other?  This topic is important to me because the pendulum swings drastically form one end of the spectrum to the other. When I was a born, my young mother, uninformed and pressed by doctors opted for the route of formula for my primary nutrition. Now, I have my first little one much, much later than my mother had me and feeding him formula would only happen over my dead body. Why?

For me it’s level of education, time and just plan personal preference in comparison to my mother. I’ve studied early childhood and know that antibodies, hormones and complex chains of nutrients are passed through breast milk. In addition, my career allows me opportunities to feed my son or express. Finally, I just want to. My mother was not as lucky to have these opportunities presented to her when I was born. Having me in high school meant no college for her and being a working mom with two children probably didn’t allow her the time either. So why when I had my baby did she push me so hard to use formula?

Cultures persuade mothers to do one or the other, but in developing countries breast milk helps to supply Vitamin A which lowers a child’s risk of dying from common diseases and zinc which protects from diarrhea and respiratory problems (Business insider). Exclusively breastfeeding an infant for six months increases the child’s rate of survival 6 times. I cannot say it is a marketing ploy to get mothers to use formula over her own breast milk, all I can say is that education about the benefits of both options is necessary for a new mother to feel prepared to make the first important decision of her child’s life.

Forming bonds from birth here in the United States and in Canada

I have been privy to the birthing experience only recently. This past Thanksgiving Day, I gave birth to my first baby boy, 8 pounds 1 ounce at 9:38 pm. It is the most wonderful experience although in the moments of labor I didn’t think so. My delivery was a scheduled induction (due to my supposedly “advanced maternal age”). Although I’m not going to disclose my age online, I will say I’m not that old. However, my due date was November 28^th and I went in the Tuesday just before and the event of bringing my baby boy into the world began.

Since his birth is so recent, I remember it all quite well. Unfortunately after 50 hours of labor I was not progressing and I had to choose a Cesarean section, and although baby and I were not in any distress the event was turning into a long one on a holiday. My Elias came into the world full-term and healthy by all means, but did not express all of the amniotic fluid from his lungs (which I learned many c-section baby do not) and he had to be whisked away to the NICU. I became quickly saddened that I was not able to have the initial skin-to-skin bonding or even begin to try to nurse him for the first 24 hours of his life. But throughout that Thanksgiving Day weekend, he and I managed to establish a bond; even though I had to travel from c-section ward across the hospital to the NICU, I admittedly breastfeed him every three hours every time.

I choose this event because it was my personal experience and my first. Although, my partner and I planned and planned for Elias’ birthing experience, a c-section and an if-we-have-a NICU baby were options never discussed. But in the end, the hospital we choose was ultimately the most nurturing and understanding ever and helped to mold a seemingly stressful birth into the most beautiful day of my life.

I feel that there is a reason we do not remember birth as an infant, the event seems like it is so stressful to the baby. The birthing process can have wonderful affects on child development if present but just as Berger and Smidt speak about plasticity, if a newborn does not get these right from the beginning he or she is still in the position to establish wonderful bonds and great foundations for love and learning. In my experience, we choose the hospital I delivered at because the baby, in a perfect birthing situation of course, is keep with the mother at all times and almost every nurse is a licensed lactation specialist. I believe the birthing process, child rearing and care giving is a beautiful process and should be seen as such and not viewed as a burden or disability like much of the American corporate world see it as.

I chose Canada as the region to discuss as a comparative model to maternity leave in the United States. Canada has parental leave rights honored for both spouses covering 52 weeks of paid leave and holding your job for your return. Maternity leave is paid for by the Canadian government opposed to the US where the employer pays for one’s maternity leave. Canada honors 55% of your annual pay up to a year or the equivalent of $43K. This scenario promotes bonding for both parents with their baby, and positive, healthy bonds formed early aid in child development. Although, maternity leave in my situation was nice it was not a paid year off with my little guy. Financial stability, lessened stress and the formation of healthy bonds aid in a child developing a healthy sense of self and forming the foundation to a great beginning.

A note to thank my colleagues

To the five colleagues that began this experience with me,

I extend a gracious and sincere thank-you to you all for the level of professionalism and support you have shown my blog postings during this term. I have learned much about each of you as an early childhood professional and a few of you, I have learned about you personally. I am excited to know that this field is supported by others who share my value system on early childhood learning and hope that each of you continue to post to your blogs periodically.

With kindest regards for your future endeavors,
Liz

Importance of Ethics in Early Childhood

In many fields of educational study, ethical practices are highly respected, reviewed and enforced. When working with the littlest of people ethical measures need to be held at a much higher state and represented by all working in this field. Young children often cannot speak for themselves or often do not know what is well and just practice in their every day. When I review the NAEYC code of ethics, I am inspired to hold my center to these regards daily. These codes are in place not only to protect the child but also to guide teachers in teaching the whole-brain child so we are creating well-adjusted people in our world.

Three points that I identify with as an early childhood professional are the NAEYC’s ethical responsibility to children, ethical responsibility to families and ethical responsibility to the community and society. Although theses points are broad, it is important to value a child’s safe learning environment and provide him or her with knowledgeable and research driven developmentally appropriate activities that challenge and inspire young children to continue to inquire about the environment that surrounds them. However, teaching and learning cannot stop with just the child but needs to expand into the home environment of the child. Respecting the parents values and practices allow an early childhood professional to invite the parents to become an active teacher for their child. Furthermore, creating a community of teachers that surround the child and embrace their experiences so each child feels like all people values his views, experiences and questions who surround him. By doing this, we all work to create a better living environment for all people and children.

Inspirational quotes to live by...

“Without a skilled and stable workforce, efforts to provide growth-enhancing experiences for children are severely constrained. Compensation for those who care for young children must be increased dramatically and quickly.” – Marcy Whitebook, Ph.D

“If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it.” - President Lyndon B. Johnson

"Create opportunities for parents and their children to have those opportunities presented to them also, helping them learn about the resources for their children to be able to go to school and know that there's more to life then whats just in their neighborhoods and that they realize that their children can do more in life."- Raymond Hernandez, MS Ed

Personal Childhood Web

A childhood web of influential people create such an impact in the early stages of developing one's personality. For me, automatically my aunt comes to mind. She is my mother’s older sister and was always someone I remember wanting to be like. To be honest, her career was running a home daycare and she still does to this day. My aunt nurtured me through compassionate conversation and always giving me the complements that built my self-esteem as a young girl becoming a woman. Although, my aunt and I have grown apart I still find her early childhood passion to be something she instilled in me from an early age and I still hope to make her proud.

Another early childhood influence of mine is someone who, at the time, I did not know made an impression on my life until now—my maternal great-grandmother. My fondest memories are of her home, and I have the strongest memories when seeing the photos of me taken at her house. I can remember how I felt being that age there and the strongest feelings of that childhood innocence and happiness that we grow up and forget. I also found out much later in life that I was the little person who changed my great grandmother’s racist views. Her words when I was born, quoted to me much later in life, were, “how could I hate something so innocent.” My great grandmother passed away a few days before my twelfth birthday, but I can still feel her presence in my heart to this day.

Finally, my biggest influence is definitely my step-father. The list of important life changing moments including him is endless. First at 17 years old, he chose to love and take care of some other man’s daughter (me) and proposed marriage to my mother. I have since seen him cry for me (really only twice or three times), stand up for me against his own family, dedicate his life to rising me well and he will be the first person at the hospital when I have his grandson. He is who I aspire to be like every day when I wake up, a good person like my dad. These are the relationships that foster my continued growth and there is not one day that passes that I do not think of at least one of these wonderful people.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, 1964

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, 1964

I thought long and hard about this post, not because I couldn’t think of my favorite children’s book but because I was afraid my public discussion of it wouldn’t give its’ contents true justice. I am sure this is a story all know well, but if you do not or cannot remember the message please take 10 minutes to visit the link below and listen to Shel Silverstein read the original version to you. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TZCP6OqRlE

My initial passion for the love of childhood innocence originated, unbeknownst to me, the first time I heard this story very young. As I have grown, I have realized how disconnected I have become from what life is truly about and I have worked very hard to regain that connection in my life. Like all people, I need to work, pay bills and I too grow older. This story reminds me of how one can take and take from nature and those who love us to fulfill what we call is our destiny. It is a sad story, but doesn’t have to be if we realize that we can change our outlook to become more like the tree instead of the boy. 

I chose to post this photo of my grandfather’s dog and me. Although I do not remember this Siberian husky, I am told she followed me everywhere. In this I am also exploring a dandelion and assume I am in total awe of seeing it for what, maybe, the first time ever. Now, as I await the birth of my first baby, I try to remember that children have all the answers about life’s true importance, and it is I that will teach him to close windows that he innately has open to become accustom to the world in which we live. My hope is that I am able to teach him to keep those windows wide open and to grow to be caring and giving like the tree.

Liz