Breastfeeding is builds a bond between the baby and the mother. Some mothers enjoy the breastfeeding and others prefer the bottle right away. Breast milk is the best way to feed your baby. The benefits goes beyond basic nutrition. It contains the vitamins and nutrients a baby needs in the first six months of life, as well as substances that will protect the baby from any illness. According to Berger, nutrition starts with colostrum, a thick, high-calorie fluid secreted by the mother’s breast at birth (Berger, 2012). Colostrum is full of antibodies and immunoglobulins, which not only help protect the newborn, but also has a laxative effect that helps them expel the tarry first stools call meconium (Barger, 2015). Babies who are not breastfed are more likely to be sicker than the ones who are breastfeed. The specific fats and sugars in breast milk make it more digestible and better for the brain than any formula (Berger, 2012).

     I chose breastfeeding because I do not see many mothers breastfeeding anymore. The high level of working mothers are using the bottle now. Some mothers think it takes too much time to pump milk or going to the location where the baby is present to breastfeed her or him. For example, my god daughter who was not breastfeed and was sick with a high fever when she was three months old and consistently sick, from head cold, viral infection in her chest, and chest congestion. My niece and nephew, on the other hand was breast feed and was sick once from the weather change, allergies. Otherwise she is healthy, chunky and happy.

Breastfeed babies. (Nephew and Niece)

     China is a bit of a challenge. Statistics says that China has better breastfeeding rates than the United States and Europe, but the hospitals there are less supportive and understanding about breastfeeding. The mothers in China have a large amount of pressure to use formula in the hospital. With that being said, there are formula samples given out at prenatal checkups, free “breastfeeding classes” are held by formula companies and their posters are all over the hospitals to promote their products (Carman, 2015).

     This may impact my future work because I hope to be a nanny to a newborn and hoping the mother of this baby will be breastfeeding as well as my future home daycare I would like to open. I will have mothers come and bond with their babies.  It is so beautiful to see a mother come breastfeed her child and just bond with her or him. The small moments like this is precious and meaningful. I may not be a mother anytime soon, but to hear the cooing from the baby and the small talks from the mom is wonderful.

Carman, Jeremy & Jacquelyn. (2015). Breastfeeding a Baby in China. Retrieved from

http://www.havingababyinchina.com/reference/breastfeeding-a-baby-in-china/

Barger, Jan. (2015). What's colostrum? Retrieved from                                                               http://www.babycenter.com/404_whatscolostrum_8896.bc

Berger, K. S. (2012). The developing person through childhood (6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

HighScope Foundation <info@highscope.org>

The Wonders of Giving Birth

     I would love to have an experience being pregnant and being in labor. Everyone has different stories about the different experiences they have with each child. I do not have any kids of my own, but I do adore the children I come in contact with, whether they are my sibling’s babies or strangers. I talked to my friend and she has three kids; one girl and two boys. All different experience with each one of them. Her first son, second child was planned. She said she went to the hospital pretending she was having contractions, but when she got to the hospital she was actually having contractions and was dilated to 4cm. The doctor kept her at the hospital to keep an eye on her progression of the pregnancy. She said the doctors and nurses had a rally going on between all the pregnant mommies in the hospital to see who was dilated the biggest and the furthest in having their baby. The nurse made her walk to help her further the progress, but the walk did not help her at all. Finally the doctor broke her water and gave her an epidural, but she was in labor for 18 hours before she had her son. There was complications because his shoulder got stuck coming out. Her baby did a bowel movement in her stomach and the doctor had to make sure her son was out quickly and safely. She said she was so tired, exhausted and in so much pain, but so happy and excited because it was her first son. The thought in her head she is not pregnant anymore. She had her 7lbs 1oz baby boy and is now three years old.

     I chose my friend because I know she was comfortable in telling me about her pregnancy. Whether she had complications she was very happy the labor was over and she had a healthy boy. I think being pregnant and going through labor is a magical experience. There may be complications and the long wait until your little bundle of joy comes out, but when she or he comes out. It must be the greatest feeling to hold your little one in your arms.

     In the country of Africa many times mothers have their pregnancy terminated by natural causes that could be prevented if they had the medical attention a pregnant mother should have. If they are a working mother, they have to juggle work with visits to their local hospital. The hospital is so crowded that by the time the doctors gets to see them, the mother had to head back to work or they would have to convince their boss they were invaluable to go back to the doctor to be seen. Being pregnant is a fearful and life threatening thing to most African woman especially living in isolated areas. The clinic is so far away from their homes that the pregnant mother ends up having their baby on the road.

     The pregnancy differences are Africa do not have clinics close enough to make sure the mother and the baby is healthy. They have to walk the distant and find ways to make sure they get seen by a doctor. My friend who had the doctors and nurses to make sure she was comfortable and not in pain. There was technology and devices at the hospital to make sure the baby is healthy or need more assistances.

BBC News. (2015). Being Pregnant in Africa. Retrieved from

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4242082.stm

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day

Showing appreciation to all teachers, childcare providers, counselors, and any professional working with children... Thank you to all you do to make children's lives brighter...