Breastfeeding

I have three children and wanted to provide them with the best.  I attempted yo breastfeed all of them but only succeeded with one.  With my first child I began breastfeeding in the hospital but by the time we were discharged from the hospital he was on formula.  My second child was breastfed for approximately 2 weeks.  The saying "third time is a charm" was clearly meant for my youngest child.  I breastfed her for approximately six months.  She is now three and sometimes I feel like we are attached at the hip or more like she is on my hip.

I had always known the benefits of breastfeeding such as better nutrition, less illnesses, etc. which were the reasons I chose to breastfeed my children.  Research says that "breast is best."  Berger also suggests that women who continue to breastfeed for six months often receive some sort of support and encouragement.  I think support and encouragement also contribute to the success of breastfeeding.  I received encouragement from my family and the nurses at the hospital.  After leaving the hospital I met with a lactation consultant.  I also received services from the Women, Infant, & Children's Program (WIC).  When it was time for me to return to work I was provided with an electric breast pump so that I could continue to provide milk for my child while she was being cared for by others.

I was surprised to learn that in some African countries women who are HIV positive are encouraged to breastfeed their children.


Berger, K.S. (2009). The Developing Person Through Childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY:Worth Publishers.

A Personal Birthing Experience

When thinking about my own personal birthing experince I kept thinking which child do I talk about, I've ad three. They all seen to be pretty normal nothing out of the ordinary happened. But my last pregnancy was a doozey! I think that little girl was giving me a taste of my own medicine before she entered the world! I was four months pregnant and got up to go to the bathroom and somehow tripped and fell on stomach! In the process I hit my chin on the door and needed 8 stitches! OUCH! Baby girl though was still intact in the womb. Fast forwarding to day of delivery...it was a Friday and I was scheduled for a normal check up. I was up like any normal morning getting my older two ready for daycare. I remember calling the director of the daycare and asking if she could meet the kids at the door because I was having pains and didn't feel like walking. I had never went into labor by having just contractions so I was clueless. And it didn't help that every time I would go to the doctor he would say "not yet". So I continued on with my morning ritual preparing to leave for my check up. After a while the pains kept coming every five minutes or so and I kept thinking surely I'm not in labor. So I called the doctor's office and was told to go directly to labor & delivery! REALLY??? As much as I was ready to have my daughter I was not ready. The plan was for me to be induced the next day but clearly she saw otherwise. I called a friend around the corner to take me to the hospital and once we got there it was confirmed, I was in labor. About five hours later my healthy 9.9 pounds baby girl came into the world on March 14, 2008. That was a Friday and we were both released from the hospital on Sunday. However on Tuesday I was back in the hospital! I had a fever which meant go directly to the emergency room especially since I had just given birth. There is nothing like going thru a birthing experience and then being in the emergency room being poked and prodded. I was admitted into the hospital because I had a fever, high blood pressure, and pneumonia. I missed the comfort of being on the maternity floor. I was now apart of regular society. I had a roomate who snored! I was in the hospital for a week and missed my daughter's first doctor's appointment. I had also chosen to breastfeed my daughter but due to all the medicines I had to dump all the milk my body produced. After a week I was finally cleared to go home and be with my family.

Course Resources

NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Position Statements

 

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth thorugh age 8. http://naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf 
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. http://www.neyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness/pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood cirruculum, assessment, and porgram evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape/.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009).  Early childhood inclusion: A summary. http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf

 

Other statements

 

• Zero to three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. http://zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller 
• FFG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FFG Snapshot, No. 33). http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf

Professional Organizations and other resources

World Forum Fundation
http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php

World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/

Association for Childhood Education International
http://www.acei.org/about

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/

The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/

Zero to Three:National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/

WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm

Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85

FG Child Development Institute
http://fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm

Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/

HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/

Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/

Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/

Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

Institute for Women's Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm

Nationala Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress

National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/

National Institute for Early Education Research
http://www.nieer.org/

Pre[K]Now
http://www.preknow.org/

Voices for America's Children
http://www.voices.org/

The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/

Professional Publications

YC Young Children
Childhood
Journal of Child & Family Studies
Child Study Journal
Multicultural Education
Early Childhood Education Journal
Journal of Early Childhood Research
International Journal of Early Childhood
Early Childhood Research Quarterly
Developmental Psychology
Social Studies
Maternal & Child Health Journal
Internation Journal of Early Years Education

Additional Resources

Resources for Early Childhood Professionals
http://extension.missouri.edu/hes/childcare/index.htm

National Black Child Development Institute
http://www.nbcdi.org/

National Assocition of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies
http://www.naccrra.org/

Kentucky Department of Education
http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE?Instructional+Resources/Early+Childhood+Development

Carla's Personal Childhood Web

When I think about my personal childhood web I see that it continues to grow even though now I am an adult. I am thankful to everyone who has supported me and guided me along the way.

George (my maternal grandfather)
For as long as I can remember my granddaddy would visit every holiday and in between. He lived in Ohio about a 2 hour drive from us. Granddaddy was the one who spoiled me because I was the baby! I loved sitting in his lap and listening to stories and eating candy. Hmmm wonder if that is why I am a candy addict now? I can remember my freshman year high school that he had gotten sick and had been in the hospital for quite some time. I was scheduled to go on a spring break college tour but didn't want to because I didn't want to leave him. My mother convinced me to go ahead and go. I called home everyday and everytime my mother would say everything is ok. When I returned home I can remember getting in the car and my mother telling me that my grandfather has died a day or so ago. I wanted to be mad at her for not telling me on the phone but I knew she was only protecting me. I am so glad that I was able to share special times with my grandfather. I think about the special moments in my life (i.e. graduation) and know that he is smiling down on me and proud of the young woman I have become.

Dawn (my mother)
"Mama" is my best friend! She was given the task of raising me and my eldest sister my herself. She is my biggest supporter! I admire my mom and know now that I am strong single mom because of her. Thank you mama for always being there and supporting me.

Carl (my father)
My father didn't raise me, he didn't even live in the same state as me. But that didn't stop him from being apart of my life. I remember my Dad used to record cassette tapes for me and send them to me. I would be so excited to hear the latest music he had recorded for me and there would always be a special message for me (guess he thought he was a DJ). Every summer he would take me on road trips or just to his home to stay for the summer. Then in 6th grade my Dad moved to the same city as me! Oh I was the luckiest girl then! I was transtioning into middle school and I think that is when I really formed a bond with my Dad. My Dad is a school teacher so I went to the same middle school that he taught. He is also a basketball coach. One thing I know for sure is that I was and still am a Daddy's Girl!

Mimi (my sister)
Mimi is my older sister, she is 9 years older than me! I would aften ask my mom "what were you thinking?" It's funny because I can remember my sister always having to care for me when my mother was around or if she was going somewhere she had to take me with her. I rememebe her dragging me by the arm because she didn't want to take me. It was mean then but now that I think about it, it's funny. I'm sure my mother sent me so that I could report back the happenings of all the teenagers. But I look up to my sister. I always thought she had a sense of fashion and sometimes she would even let me try on her clothes! I got to see my sister graduate from high school and go off to college and I remember wanting to be just like her.

QUOTES

"I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world."
Louise Derman-Sparks
Professor Emeritus
Pacific Oak College, CA


"Parents don't make mistakes because they don't care, but because they care so deeply."
Dr. T. Berry Brazelton

It Takes a Village

"It takes a village to raise a child."

This quote has been around ever since I can remember.  However within the past year this quote has become very meaningful to me.  I am single parent of three and live in a city where I have no family.  I am very independent and sometimes don't like asking for help.  But I have had to set my pride aside and say "I need help."  I have been fortunate enough to have some special people in my life who have opened up their hearts and homes to my children and I. I am forever grateful and thankful to have them in my life.

On the other hand I have noticed that this quote has been disregarded by some.  Often times you cannot correct another person's child without the parent being apprehensive.  It may not even be that serious but because you are not the parent you are not to say anything.  How do you all feel about this?

Favorite Childhood Book

The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey is one of my favorite childhood books. This little puppy thought he was out smarting his mother and siblings by coming home in the middle of the night and eating up the dessert. He soon learns that he cannot outsmart his mother and ends up getting caught and goes to bed with no dessert while his siblings enjoy the scrumptious dessert that their mother made for them!

It's me!

Just when I thought I had pictures of me when I was young, I couldn't find any! But I was able to find a current picture of me! :)

Confused

Hey all! I just started taking graduate classes this week! I am excited to be on this journey. However at this moment I am a bit confused. I am somewhat a technical savvy person but creating this blog and a RSS feeder to go along with it has really thrown. I'm thinking I follwed the directions but I have never done anything like this so bear with me as I try new things.