Month: January 2018

Categories
Education

No Child Left Behind

‘No Child Left Behind’: What it Means for Parents

The No Child Left Behind Act is a landmark education reform law that is already improving academic performance across the land.

One of its chief aims is to close the troubling achievement gap that separates many disadvantaged, disabled and minority students from their peers.

To do this, it measures student performance and focuses extra resources and attention on those most in danger of falling behind but what about the schools themselves?

Under No Child Left Behind, schools that receive federal funds to help teach and prepare educationally disadvantaged children must make what is called “Adequate Yearly Progress” in reading, language arts and mathematics. These clearly defined benchmark goals, which will be raised over time, have been put in place by each of the 50 states based upon what is appropriate for their local school districts.

If a school does not reach its annual goals, it is given extra assistance and another chance.

If it again does not succeed the following year, the school is deemed “in need of improvement.

” Extra resources are provided to the school, and new options and choices are provided to its students and parents.

As states release their lists of schools that under performed over the last school year, parents should be alert to their school’s status.

They may be eligible for free tutoring or after-school classes for their children, or entitled to choose another public school that better meets their needs.

Parents of children in schools deemed “in need of improvement” should contact their local school officials to find out if their children are eligible for these and other services.

If a school continues to under perform for five or more years in a row, school officials must develop and implement a two-year plan to turn around the school.

The local school district will ensure that the school receives needed technical assistance as it develops and implements its improvement plan.

Parents who get involved – by enforcing attendance, supervising homework and setting academic goals – are less likely to see their children left behind in school.

Ways that parents can help their child’s school succeed include:

* Attending parent-teacher meetings to address academic or discipline problems.

* Participating in school board meetings.

* Volunteering to serve during school hours or in extracurricular activities.

* Encouraging other parents to become involved.

* Tapping into community or private-sector resources.

* Learning about No Child Left Behind and how it can benefit their child.

[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-14_11-27-15.jpg” btn=”light” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”no child left behind” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0WUqNO0qo4[/video_page_section]

 

The No Child Left Behind Act was meant to compel states to adopt high standards and rapidly improve K-12 education in public schools.

It is now clear that NCLB has been a failure and has set the stage for even greater federal control over curriculum.

The solution, contrary to what many advocates claim, is to get the federal government out of America’s classrooms.

Neal McCluskey, associate director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom, comments on NCLB’s decade of failure.

 

[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-14_11-35-26.jpg” btn=”light” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”No Child Left Behind, the country’s most sweeping education law” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfV6IlL94CU[/video_page_section]

 

Full Transcript

  • GWEN IFILL:

    No Child Left Behind, the country’s most sweeping education law, has long been blamed for a rise in standardized testing and for unfairly labeling schools as failing.

    This week, the Senate took up the first bipartisan effort to replace the law since it expired eight years ago. It would remove much of the federal footprint from education.

    Hari Sreenivasan has the details.

  • HARI SREENIVASAN:

    Instead of federal rules for grading and punishing schools, the Senate legislation would let states design their own accountability systems. But serious disagreements remain.

    The White House is calling for rules that tell states when to intervene in low-performing schools. And some Republicans want federal funds for low-income students to follow them to the school of their choice.

    Here to look at what this could mean for schools are Rick Hess, director of education policy studies for the American Enterprise Institute. And Bob Wise, former governor of West Virginia and president of the Alliance for Excellent Education.

    So, Rick, I want to start with you first.

    All schools were supposed to be at this place where kids were learning at grade level by last year. We didn’t get there. How does this piece of legislation think it can fix that?

  • RICK HESS, American Enterprise Institute:

    It turns out that when you pass a law like No Child Left Behind back in 2001 that says 100 percent of children will be proficient in reading and math by 2014, the fact that Congress would like it to be so doesn’t make it so.

    And I think that’s the big lesson here. No Child Left Behind really did two things around accountability. One is, it created enormous — made an enormous contribution, because for the first time we had real comparable data on every child in every state on how they were doing in reading and math grades three to eight, again in high school and science at elementary, middle and high school.

    What No Child Left Behind got wrong was, in their desire to make a difference, Congress wrote this convoluted, problematic, overreaching accountability system, which tried to tell states how to decide which schools were doing well or not and how to intervene in those schools.

    Turns out, Congress is actually horribly configured to do this. And what you wound up creating was a lot of test mania, a lot of compliance, and very little that actually contributed in any way to helping kids get better.

    What I think you see in the laws, in the proposals right now that just passed the House and that is getting debated in the Senate is an effort to keep the part of No Child Left Behind that worked well, this transparency and this regular assessment, but to get the federal government out of that micromanagement business.

  • HARI SREENIVASAN:

    So, Bob Wise, you have been a governor before. Will replacing federal guidelines with state guidelines fix the problem, especially for those parents out there who are seriously complaining about testing and the culture that it’s created?

  • BOB WISE, President, Alliance for Excellent Education:

    So what we have, I think, is a legislative Goldilocks right now.

    Rick is absolutely right. I agree with him that the early No Child Left — No Child Left Behind was too prescriptive, too hot. But at the same token, the House version particularly removes any kind of meaningful accountability.

    And so what you need is, you need the ability to report on students that are having low outcomes, measure them over a period of time, and then for the federal government to say to states, look, you have got to do something. We’re not telling you what.

    That’s what they tried to do in No Child Left Behind. We’re not telling you what, but we are saying that you do need to act and there is a federal role in helping support that. So that’s where I think we still have to get it right in terms of where the Senate bill is.

  • HARI SREENIVASAN:

    Rick, if the federal government says that you can create your own measurements of success and failure, do we basically go to a pre-No Child Left Behind era, where we have 50 sets of measurements in different states?

  • FREDERICK HESS:

    Well, basically, with No Child Left Behind, we have actually had 50 sets of measurements from 50 states, because each state gets to choose its standards and its tests.

    So what you have are data that are comparable for every child in a state, but not necessarily across states. That doesn’t change under the laws being debated. What you really go back to — I describe it as a long way home. What you go back to is what Bill Clinton actually proposed in 1994, which was he said, look, let’s have every state test every child once in elementary school in reading and math, once in middle school, once in high school, and let’s make sure that data is out there, so that parents and policy-makers and educators and voters can make informed decisions.

    What we’re going to wind up with under, say, a House bill is what Clinton imposed in ’94 on steroids. You actually have tests every grade level from three to eight in reading and math, again in high school, and then science elementary, middle and high school

    What it does, is, unlike pre-NCLB, it makes sure that folks can’t hide problems. You’re going to break out data for all these different subgroups by economic status and by ethnicity. And what you’re going to have, what’s going to be different from under No Child Left Behind is the federal government will not be in the business of deciding which schools need to be intervened in and how you’re supposed to intervene in them.

  • HARI SREENIVASAN:

    So, Bob Wise, one of the questions and one of the points of contention between the House and the Senate bills is this idea that the dollars should follow low-income kids if they choose to leave a low-performing school and go either to a better-performing school, which I guess is the goal. But how much money are we talking about? How significance is this and what’s the impact on the states?

  • BOB WISE:

    The impact on the states can be great, and I think it’s significant.

    We’re talking roughly $14 billion to $15 billion in Title I. And those are the dollars that go to concentrations of low-income children. But I think it’s significant to note that the Senate rejected that approach, even when offered by the Republican chairman. In the House, I don’t believe — either they didn’t take it up or they rejected it as well.

    But I think that what Rick talks about is important to note. Yes, there’s going to be more flexibility, regardless of what version passes. But I’m concerned that I don’t want to see the Bill Clinton 1994 approach — he says on steroids — I don’t want to see it run amok.

    If you have got 1,200 high schools that are graduating — or where more than one-third of their kids drop out, I think it’s fair for the federal government to say, why do you have these high dropout rates? We’re not telling you how to fix it, but after this has happened for several years, what are you going to do to fix it and what are the tools you need to fix it?

    That I think is the key debate that is still taking place, particularly on the Senate side.

  • HARI SREENIVASAN:

    Rick, is this legislation essentially reflecting this kind of popular uprising against the Common Core?

  • FREDERICK HESS:

    No, I think it’s more accurate to say the Common Core got caught up in the frustration of No Child Left Behind.

    I think you have got parents who feel like their children are being overtested. It’s not so much the federally mandated tests under No Child Left Behind. It’s more all of the urgency put behind getting kids to make sure they’re proficient on those tests, which has led school districts to do lots of formative assessment, to make sure kids are ready for the tests, lots of test preparation.

    The idea is, by keeping the transparency, but by loosening the terror of being on the federal government black hat list, that what’s going to happen is school districts will be able to be more sensible and measured about these tests.

    And I think what is going to happen is on debates around testing, around evaluation of teachers, around standards and Common Core, you would actually see a lessening of some of the temperature, because people are going to feel that the stakes have been reduced to a more moderate range.

  • HARI SREENIVASAN:

    Bob Wise, a quick last word?

  • BOB WISE:

    Yes, Rick, I think, has summed up well a lot of the situation.

    I just want to add that let’s also remember that it was the states, whether they adopted the Common Core or they adopted their own college and career ready standards, every state has now moved to a college and career ready standard. We want to make sure that the federal government is supporting that state initiative.

  • HARI SREENIVASAN:

    All right, Bob Wise and Rick Hess, thanks so much for joining us.

    https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/replace-child-left-behind#transcript

     

Categories
Nutrition

Childhood obesity and nutrition

Health risk factors - child obesity

According to obesity researchers, the United States obesity rate has more than doubled for preschoolers and adolescents-and more than tripled for ages 6 to 11-over the past 30 years.

Obese children are at greater risk for health problems such as diabetes and heart disease, and often carry these problems into adulthood.

So, how do parents help children, and the entire family, eat healthier, both at home and away-from-home?

“Talk to your pediatrician, family doctor or registered dietitian to determine the healthiest weight goals for the entire family,” said nutrition expert Jenifer Bland-Campbell, “then make a plan to tackle the issue.”

She offers these tips to help parents help their families eat more healthfully:

  • Eat at least one meal together daily, at regular intervals to discourage snacking.
  • Prepare healthy dishes for the whole family, not just special foods for an overweight child.
  • Don’t use food as a reward, comfort or punishment.
  • Watch portions. “Clean your plate” is not always the way to go.
  • Eat slowly. It takes almost 20 minutes for the brain to register that the body is full.
  • Encourage water or skim or 1% milk instead of high-calorie, sugary drinks.
  • Getting kids to eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day will not be easy, but focus on the colors to make it more fun. for more tips. 5 a day
  • Use low-fat or fat-free dressings, mayonnaise and dairy items at home as if they are the full-fat versions. Kids will take your cues. Ask for the same items on the side when eating away-from-home.
  • Take the stairs. When you go shopping, park the car farther away from the store and walk.
  • Limit television, video games or computer time.
  • Replace mayonnaise and cheese on burgers or sandwiches with ketchup, mustard or barbecue sauce.
  • Stick with items that are baked, broiled, steamed or poached-not fried.
  • Ask for nutritional information when eating out.
  • Look beyond the children’s menu, often limited to fried, high-calorie, high-fat foods and split one healthier adult entrée between two children.
  • Ask for a takeout container and put some of the food in before you eat.
  •  Ask that bread, beverages and tortilla chips be served with the meal, not beforehand.

“Parents can help children reach wellness goals by first making healthy changes at home, then teaching kids what to do away from home,” said Bland-Campbell.

“Healthy eating does not happen overnight, but children take cues from their parents and will learn behaviors over time.”

Nutrition:`Obesity being a Health risk target

Bland-Campbell is a registered dietitian with ARAMARK, a company that manages food service programs at businesses, colleges, hospitals, and approximately 4,000 schools across the country.

You can find research on the away-from-home nutritional preferences of Americans at ARAMARK’S web site.

There, parents can find their own dining style and receive tips from dietitians on more ways to eat better.

 

[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”” btn=”light” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”Childhood Obesity: Are You Dishing Up Too Much?” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4XUgeVA-CY[/video_page_section]

 

We speak to Bethany Walton, who weighed 6 stone at 5 years old and currently weighs 27.5 stone.

Bethany says that her mum should of controlled her eating habits when she was younger.

But how much is too much when it comes to children’s meals?

Dr Sara Kayat will be showing us and will advise on what to do if you think your child is overweight.

 

Categories
Parenting

Harry Potter And Gender Equity

Harry Potter would be eligible for entry into a contest sponsored by up-and-coming young adult novelist R.J. Nimmo – on one condition.

“He would need some magic spell or potion to change himself from a ‘Harry’ to a ‘Harriet,'”

joked Nimmo, who is an expert on entertainment for children and young adults.

“Describing how the famous boy wizard would behave as a witch would be enjoyable for author and reader alike,”

Nimmo said. “It is just the kind of fun, witty and creative submission our judges are looking for.”

Nimmo, author of the emerging “Mustard Twins” fantasy series, says that trends in literature aimed at young people risk trapping kids in what he calls a “kind of reading time-warp.”

“Certainly, where representations of gender in fiction heroes and characters are concerned, kids’ books lag way behind today’s society,” he said.

“A lot of popular fiction reflects outdated stereotypes of masculine and feminine roles.

Books aimed at children and young adults share much of the blame.

Gender Equity

I am not only talking about mainstream books either, but Newbery and Caldecott medal winners as well.”

To challenge the status quo, Nimmo is encouraging contestants to describe how a favorite fiction book or story hero would act or react in a dramatic situation.

But there’s a twist: Entrants are first required to swap the hero’s gender role or characteristics.

With the contest, Nimmo hopes to positively attune parents and kids alike to the subtle messages being transmitted through popular entertainment.

“Readers – especially younger ones – are constantly being exposed to values that are completely out of step with modern times,” he said.

Studies show that, from Harry Potter to Artemis Fowl, boys outnumber girls about four to one in books and TV shows, including those written by women.

Furthermore, Nimmo points out, even books with female or gender-neutral names in their titles frequently revolve around a male character.

 

Why should parents be concerned?

“Society’s values are largely transmitted to children through fiction,” Nimmo said. “It is therefore important that parents be aware that self-esteem and personal development are influenced by the sort of book and story heroes we emulate as kids.”

Nonetheless, Nimmo said, there are things parents can do to sensitize kids to the issue.

“Make sure to include books in your reading selection where individuals are portrayed with distinctive personalities irrespective of gender, where achievements are not evaluated on the basis of gender and where individuals are logical or emotional depending on the situation,” he said.

To encourage young people to challenge the conventions in stories and books written for them, Nimmo is offering a $300 cash prize, plus signed copies of his latest novel,

“The Ancient Egyptian Ennead,”

Which tells the story of two spunky teenage female heroes and their exploits in ancient Egypt in the time of the pharaohs.

 

[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-13_23-46-01.jpg” btn=”light” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”Gender Roles-Interviews with Kids” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VqsbvG40Ww[/video_page_section]

A great example of children before they’ve grown into adults and have been completely socially engineered and manipulated, generation by generation. You will find these same answers amongst tribes people world wide, with but very very few exceptions. This should say something. Ironically, there is a myth sweeping the nation that parents and teachers are engineering the kids to think and respond in this manner, as if the kids are held at gun point and told,”you will act like a boy, you will act like a girl.”. Though if you will look around, the Tell-lie-vision is crammed full of homo and unisexual propaganda every day, and such concepts are now being taught in schools as the social norm, so where exactly is the agenda that is trying to scare children in the other direction? It is nowhere to be seen.

 

 

 

Categories
Parenting Uncategorized

True confessions of a compulsive caretaker

Crowd of children, different ages and races in front of the school, breaktime

You cannot catch a child’s spirit by running after it and his became evident to me many summers ago, when I spent 6 weeks suffering with a severe case of hives all over my body.

When the itching first began, the only way to find relief was to lie absolutely motionless.

“You cannot catch a child’s spirit by running after it. You must stand still, and for love it will soon itself return.”

–Arthur Miller

My kids, who are delightfully self-entertaining, went about their business for the first few hours, checking in on me occasionally to see if I needed anything.

As the day wore on, they realized that I was a sitting duck.

They set up camp on my king size bed, and we proceeded to have some very deep and thought-provoking conversations.

I doubt these interactions would have occurred if I had been my usual productive and bustling self.

I probably would have interrupted the quiet time that was necessary for their questions to emerge in order to jump up and fold the laundry before it wrinkled.

I hardly ever sit still when I’m healthy.

There’s always so much to do.

Hives taught me lots of important things … not the least of which is that the world will not collapse if I don’t hold it up.

Sure, I fell behind on things.

For the first time in my life I left phone calls not returned, and dishes in the sink, and laundry wet and wrinkled for days.

But the sun continued to rise and set anyway.

I didn’t lose any friends due to my poor response time and my kids learned how to take care of dirty dishes and clothes.

My son is a budding chef, and he had lots more freedom in the kitchen when I wasn’t there telling him what to do or how to do it better.

He was so proud to serve us the delicious meals he had prepared.

I’m sure you know where I’m going with this.

Sometimes the best thing we can do for our kids is drop out and let them experience their own competence.

My kids blossomed during my down time.

I think it was really great for them to feel needed and important; to make a contribution to the family that really mattered.

Yeah, it’s sad that it took a nasty case of hives for me to realize that I was not giving them enough opportunities to experience their own competence, but so be it.

Now I know.

True confessions of a compulsive caretaker.

Testing my lessons learned, I asked my son if he would fix a towel hook that had fallen off the wall.

He seized the mission with zest, gathering all his tools together and tackling the problem with great concentration.

I stayed busy elsewhere in the house and left him alone.

I’ll never forget the look on his face when he came to tell me the job was done.

Not only had he fixed the hook, but he had even cleaned up the mess and put all the tools away!

I’ve realized that the best way to love my kids has changed as they’ve grown older.

It’s not so much about taking care of them anymore.

Now they need opportunities to discover their ability to take care of themselves.

I’ve graduated from being their source to being their resource.

caretaker

My job has changed from a caretaker and doing things for them to expressing my confidence that they can learn to do things for themselves.

Just in the nick of time, too. I’ve been craving uninterrupted opportunities to write and think and meditate.

I’m relieved to know that I can take this time for myself without feeling that I am depriving them somehow.

I guess I needed the reassurance that it was ok, even good for them, that I wanted space to myself.

Mama Bird at some point needs to get tough on her babies while getting them ready to fly.

Maybe Mother Nature gives her a helping hand by offering her the tool of irritation to toughen her up so she does what must be done.

Traditionally it’s been hard for me to trust that even my irritation could be ok.

Once more, I have been reminded that all is truly as it should be and for that, I am grateful.

[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-13_23-25-23.jpg” btn=”light” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”How to raise successful kids — without over-parenting ” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyElHdaqkjo[/video_page_section]

 

 

Categories
Adoption Breast Feeding

Adopted Babies

baby

Breast Feeding Adopted Babies

Not only is breast feeding an adopted baby easy, the chances are that you will produce a large amount of milk. It isn’t complicated to do,  although it is different than breast feeding a baby you have been pregnant with for 9 months.

Breast feeding and milk

There are two objectives that are involved in breast feeding an adopted babies.

The first is getting your baby to breast feed, and the other is producing enough breast milk.

There is more to breast feeding than just milk, which is why many mothers are happy to feed  without expecting to produce milk in the way the baby needs.

It’s the closeness and the bond breast feeding provides that many mothers  look for.

 

Taking the breast

Even though many feel the early introduction of bottles may interfere with breast feeding, the early introduction of artificial nipples can interfere a great deal.

The sooner you can get the baby to the breast after birth, the better things will be.

Babies will however, require the flow from the breast in order to stay attached and continue to suck, especially if they are used to gettingflow from a bottle or other method of feeding.

Producing breast milk As soon as you have an adopted baby in sight, contact a lactation clinic and start getting
your milk supply ready.

Keep in mind, you may never produce a full milk supply for your baby, although it may happen.

You should never feel discouraged by what you may be pumping before the baby, as a pump is never quite as good at extracting milk as a baby who is well latched and sucking.

Breastfeeding has many advantages for both the baby and the mother.

There are many substances in breast milk that can’t be found in cow’s milk. More so, there are fewer complications associated with breast milk than with cow’s milk.

It has been advertised time and again that it is best for the babies if they are breastfed for the first six months even up to two years. So why is breast milk so beneficial for the baby?

First of all, only breast milk contains colostrums which are essential for the baby to take.

Commercially-made milks cannot simulate the colostrums made by a mother.

The colostrums contain natural antibodies and immune globulins that are responsible for keeping the baby free from illness for the first few months of its life.

Another advantage breast milk has over cow’s milk is that it allows the mother to save as cow’s milk can be expensive. The baby can better adapt to breast milk.

Their feces are not smelly and they don’t have any difficulty defecating compared to cow’s milk.

Breastfeeding has also been approved to be one of the family planning methods that a family can observe.

Since breastfeeding has been given so much importance, many women have been made aware. However, despite the awareness, many mothers still report of breast problems associated with lactation.

These problems are most often than not, associated with improper breast feeding techniques.

In order to lower down the incidence of breast related problems due to lactation, it is important that mothers observe the proper techniques of breast feeding.

Ultimately, both the mother as well as the baby will benefit from the proper observance of these techniques.

First of all, you need to prepare your breast for milk-production.

There are various nipple exercises to perform in order to prepare your nipple to deliver the breast milk to your baby.

One of these exercises would involve routinely pinching the nipple.

Second and what most mothers fail to realize is how to keep the nipple clean before the baby latches on to it for feeding.

When you plan to breast feed, you should avoid using soap on your nipple.

If this cannot be avoided, your nipple should be wiped using a soft cloth soaked in clean water to make sure your nipple is clean before your baby feeds from it.

Third and perhaps the most important step is to allow your baby to properly latch on to your nipple.

You will know when your baby is latched on properly when your baby’s mouth covers the entire areola and not just the nipples.

It is essential that your baby should latch on properly so that he or she can properly stimulate the “let-down reflex” of your breasts wherein the milk will go down the ducts and out your nipple.

To aid your baby in latching on properly, you should make use of their rooting reflex.

This is manifested in the first few months of life. You stimulate your baby’s cheek, near their mouth using your nipple and their head will automatically turn towards the stimulation.

Their mouth will open and be ready for receiving your nipple.

Once you’re done, you can aid your baby to stop latching on by inserting a clean pinky finger into the side of their mouth and propping it slightly open.

Your baby will stop sucking and you can remove your nipple.

To prevent sore nipples and breast engorgement you have to monitor the amount of time your baby sucks with each nipple.

It is usually advisable to spend 10-15 minutes each breast to make sure that the breasts are completely emptied of milk.

This will prevent breast engorgement.

The next time your baby feeds on your breast, let your baby feed from the last breast he or she fed on.

This will completely empty the milk on that breast before you move on to the other breast.

 

[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-01_22-01-43.jpg” btn=”light” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”Adopted Babies” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrvDPT1HXVU[/video_page_section]

 

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Categories
Breast Feeding

Breast Or Bottle Feeding

Little cutie holding a gift-box behind the back to surprise her mom

Bottle 

Or

Breast  Feeding–

Which Is Best

There are lots of decisions to make when there’s a baby on the way.

One of the most controversial is the ever raging “breast or bottle” debate.

There are many people who have strong feelings on both sides of this issue, and many of them will try like a televangelist to get you on their side.

I’m not going to do that.

I’m going to give you the facts, and share some personal insight on the subject, which hopefully will leave you feeling good, whatever your choice.

Scientifically, breast milk is best.

There are nutrients in breast milk that help your child’s brain develop, and try as they might, formula makers cannot replicate these nutrients.

Breastfeeding protects your child from illnesses because, as long as he or she is nursing, they are protected by your immune system, which is much more developed than theirs.

Breast milk is very well tolerated by babies, and hardly ever causes gastric problems, and breastfed babies are less likely to be overweight.

But, realistically, the scientific facts are not the only things to be considered.

Women who simply don’t want to breastfeed will probably not be very successful.

Even some women who want to breastfeed will find it so difficult, that they are miserable trying to make it work.

Some women will have difficulty making enough milk to satisfy their baby’s hunger, and some women will suffer more pain with breastfeeding than they can endure.

If you fall into one of those categories, don’t beat yourself up.

Your baby can do quite nicely on formula, too.

When my daughter was born, I was anxious to breast feeding.

I had two boys, but one is my husband’s by a previous marriage, and the other was adopted at ten months, so this was my only chance to be pregnant and breastfeed.

I read all the books I could get my hands on, and like a fool, spent a bunch of money on a breast pump.

Well, it turns out that my nipples are not exactly a matched set, so my daughter completely rejected one nipple.

So, I nursed on the side she would take until my nipples looked like ground beef.

Plus, she was an eight pound eating machine at birth, and no matter how long I nursed her, I couldn’t satisfy her appetite.

Even with pumping from the breast that she rejected, she was always hungry.

I made myself crazy from it, worked with two different lactation consultants and tried every trick in the book, but still every attempt at nursing ended in tears.

After two miserable weeks, I gave in and put her on formula.

We have never looked back. I was happier because I wasn’t constantly frustrated, and she was happier because her tummy was full and because her Mommy was much more relaxed.

Now that I’ve told you that story, I’ll tell you this.

If I ever had another baby, I would try breastfeeding again.

Every baby is different, and a Mother’s body is different with each pregnancy.

I would try again to give my child the best from a nutritional standpoint.

But, I understand now that sometimes it just doesn’t work, or it isn’t right for you, and that doesn’t mean that you’re not a good Mom.

Breast or bottle is a personal choice. Weigh the facts and the preferences, and make the choice that is right for you and your baby.

Whatever you decide, you don’t owe anyone an explanation.

Mother’s milk is one of the best foods for babies that anyone could think about.

It contains ample amount of proteins and nutrients which could beat any other health drink for your child.

The usefulness of this milk becomes more important because it protects the baby from some of the worst health problems.

There is no substitute for breast milk so providing this milk to your child would be the best thing to give to your child.

It has been studied that children who have been breastfed grow faster and are healthier than the ones who have not been breastfed

.

Breast milk contains lactoferrin which helps in absorption of iron and protects the intestine from any harmful bacteria.

The other component called lipases helps in digesting your fats which helps in baby’s growth and development.

It not only serves the purpose of providing nutrients to your child but also in serving the purpose to quench to your baby’s thirst and fill-in your baby’s stomach.

The IQ of the child also increases by providing breast milk.

It saves lot of time and money as you don’t have to sit up late night and mix the formula for your baby.

The cost baby food is also cut which gives more time for the mother to be with her baby.

It creates a bond between the mother and child which binds them together.

Nursing helps the mother to loose the extra pounds which she gained during her pregnancy.

It burns out lot of calories which helps in bringing back the original size.

If there are any chances of bleeding after child birth it lessens due to breast feeding.

The risk of breast and ovarian cancer is minimal.

Some common remedies to help breast feeding

-To arouse lactation for better quality and quantity, consumption of alfalfa is very useful
-To remove the hard feeling from your breast place a wet towel on your breast for 10 minutes which has been soaked in hot water
-Use of chamomile helps in controlling inflamed breast
-To minimize pain and inflammation, use of castor oil is very useful
-Having the baby in different positions for feeding also helps
-Consumption of fennel tea and almonds helps in increasing the milk production
-To relieve pain massaging Vitamin E oil on your breast is very good
-Having good amount of yogurt or curd helps in keeping the bacteria and other infection at bay

 

[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-01_20-15-17.jpg” btn=”light” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding: My Experience Combine Feeding” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlEz4Xcay6c[/video_page_section]

 

 

[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-01_20-18-48.jpg” btn=”light” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”Tips on Combining Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding ” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIQblK0L2ig[/video_page_section]

 

 

Categories
Breast Feeding

Breastfeeding My Baby

Mother Breastfeeding her newborn

Breastfeeding: Where Do I Start?

Congratulations you have a new baby! Having a new baby is hard enough but when you choose to breastfeed you sometimes feel that you made this experience even harder.

How Breast Milk Is Made

If you’ve every been pregnant or if you are pregnant now, you’ve probably noticed a metamorphisis in your bra cups.

The physical changes (tender, swollen breasts) may be one of the earliest clues that you have conceived.

Many experts believe that the color change in the areola may also be helpful when it comes to breast feeding.

What’s going on
Perhaps what’s even more remarkable than visible changes is the extensive changes that are taking  place inside of your breasts.

The developing  placenta stimulates the release of estrogen and progesterone, which will in turn stimulate the  complex biological system that helps to make lactation possible.

Before you get pregnant, a combination of supportive tissue, milk glands, and fat make up the larger portions of your breats.

The fact is, your newly swollen breasts have been preparing for your  pregnancy since you were in your mother’s womb!

When you were born, your main milk ducts had already formed.

Your mammary glands stayed quiet until you reached puberty, when a flood of the female hormone estrogen caused them to grow and also to swell.

During pregnancy, those glands will kick into high gear.

Before your baby arrives, glandular tissue has  ,replaced a majority of the fat cells and accounts for your bigger than before breasts.

Each breast may actually get as much as 1 1/2 pounds heavier than before!

Nestled among the fatty cells and glandular tissue is an intricate network of channels or canals known as the milk ducts.

The pregnancy hormones will  cause these ducts to increase in both number and size, with the ducts branching off into smaller canals near the chest wall known as ductules.

At the end of each duct is a cluster of smaller sacs known as alveoli.

The cluster of alveoli is known as a lobule, while a cluster of lobule is known as a lobe.

Each breast will contain around 15 – 20 lobes, with one milk duct for every lobe.

The milk is produced inside of the alveoli, which is surrounded by tiny muscles that squeeze the glands and help to push the milk out into the  ductules.

Those ductules will lead to a bigger duct that widens into a milk pool directly below the areola.

The milk pools will act as resevoirs that hold the milk until your baby sucks it through the tiny  openings in your nipples.

Mother Nature is so smart that your milk duct system will become fully developed around the time of your second trimester, so you can properly  breast feed your baby even if he or she arrives
earlier than you are anticipating.

Breastfeeding is not as difficult as it looks or as you may have heard from others.

It is actually pretty easy and a very fulfilling way to nourish your newborn once you get the hang of it.

Remember as with most things practice makes perfect!

Breastfeeding is new to you and to your little one but with a little practice you two will become pros in no time!

During the first week of your baby’s life, your breasts will produce colostrum for your baby to drink.

Colostrum is rich in antibodies and aids the baby’s immune system.

It also helps him pass his first bowel movement, which is called meconium.

Meconium is black and tarry looking and is in the first few diapers after birth.

Then he begins to transition to a brown substance and after your milk comes in, it becomes a yellow, mustardy stool that is loose and watery.

Bottle-fed babies pass firmer, tarnish stools than breastfed babies.

After 24-48 hours after birth, your baby will start having wet diapers that will increase to two or three a day.

Your technique and positioning is a very important factor in ensuring that your breastfeeding experience is a great one.

There are a few different positions that can be used to make the experience more comfortable for you and baby.

Some of these positions include:

• Laying down –

Lay down on you side with pillows behind you to support your back.

Lay baby facing you with her head on a pillow your breast should be level with baby’s mouth.

Bend your legs with a pillow between your knees and then have baby latch on.

• Sitting Up –

Sit up either in bed or a comfortable chair or couch with pillows supporting your back and head.

Place a pillow on your lap and put baby on top of the pillow in your arms, you can rest your arms on the pillow to make it easier to bring baby up to your breast.

Bend your knees to make this even easier have baby latch on.

• The Clutch Hold –

This is also known as the football hold.

This position is also good when nursing twins as it allows mom to have a baby on each side.

Sit down and tuck your baby under your arm almost like a handbag.

Rest baby’s head on a firm pillow on your lap.

Ensure that baby’s feet are behind your back.

Your hand is at the back of baby’s neck, not on baby’s head.

Your arm will extend down baby’s back , guide baby to latch on

These are just a few of the positions that you can use there is also the cradle hold, clutch hold, and the transition position.

Do some research to learn these other positions to nurse your baby if you find the above positions uncomfortable.

While your baby drinks colostrum and then milk, you should listen for a pattern of “suck, suck, suck, swallow.”

This pattern will be rhythmic and there should be no “clicking” noises.

The “clicking” sound can indicate that your baby is not properly latched on and may not be getting enough milk from you.

If you start to hear this, you need to unlatch him and then reattach him.

If you continue to hear this sound after reattaching him several times, then you may want to consult a lactation consultant or your pediatrician.

After the first week of life, you should see 6-8 wet diapers each day and at least 3 bowel movements a day.

His urine should be clear and he should become more alert with each passing day.

Your baby should also be gaining weight and growing, as this is the surest way to tell that they are getting enough nutrition.

If you have two days in a row that deviates from the above indicators, then you should call your pediatrician immediately.

Breastfeeding problems, such as milk production difficulties, are not as common when using the PDF feeding method, but they do occur.

Even if you are well rested, eating healthy, have a pretty routine life, and your baby is growing and getting enough food, you still may experience a milk production issue.

Many things can cause production problems.

Here are just a few.

Some things that can affect your milk supply are:

• What mom eats
• How much mom rests and sleeps
• Her state of mind
• The age of the mom
• How many children you have
• Your desire to breastfeed
• Your nursing capabilities
• Your nursing techniques
• Baby’s latch on abilities

If you choose to breastfeed, it is very important that you take your baby for their check-ups as needed.

If you don’t, how will you know if he is getting enough milk and growing at the correct rate?

There is no way for you to tell that your child is getting enough nutrition for sure without your child being weighed.

Breastfeeding and Mastitis

Mastitis is perhaps the most distressing problem you may encounter when attempting to breastfeed.

You have been making it through the sleepless nights, the relentless feeding schedule, the diapers, the leaking…

when all of a sudden you want to stop breastfeeding.

Why?

Mastitis is the answer.

One of your breasts is engorged.

There is a slightly red patch which is painful to touch.

When the baby feeds it’s extremely uncomfortable.

After the feed your breast feels sore. You dread the next feed…

and then you begin shivering.

You think you have the flu. You have hot and cold sweats.

You have a thumping headache.

You retire to your bed and feel utterly miserable.

Visitors encourage you to give the baby a bottle so you feel like you’ve failed… but there is a solution.

In most cases mastitis affects only one breast at a time.

So what causes it?

Most often a new mum, whether or not she has previously breastfed, will suffer mastitis as a result of incorrect positioning or latching on of the baby.

Consequently the milk is not properly drained from the breast and a milk duct becomes blocked.

Other reasons include skipping feeds because you don’t want to feed in public or in front of visitors, or the baby is sleeping and you do not want to disturb him.

If you recognize the sensation of a blocked milk duct you may be able to avoid it progressing into mastitis by gently massaging your breast in the bath or shower.

Massage downwards towards the nipple.

You may feel a small lump which disappears as the duct becomes unblocked.

You can also try feeding the baby more often and again massaging the sore area towards the nipple as the baby drinks.

Another effective technique is to try expressing milk with the aid of an electric or hand pump.

However, if all your efforts are in vain and the duct does not unblock mastitis will often follow.

Mastitis is simply when the blocked duct becomes inflamed and possibly infected.

Current medical advice is to continue feeding from the affected breast even if it is infected.

The infection will not harm the baby.

However, the last thing you may want to do is to feed from the affected side at all as it is so painful.

This will only make things worse and you may end up with an abscess.

If this happens you will need to have the abscess drained by a doctor.

If you are worried about your baby drinking milk from the affected breast a good alternative is to express and dispose of the milk and to feed only from the unaffected side.

Your body will adapt. It will continue to supply enough milk for your baby from the unaffected breast.

And as long as you express regularly from the affected breast the milk supply will be maintained.

You produce breast milk on a supply and demand basis so there will always be enough.

When the infection clears up you can simply return to your usual feeding pattern.

If you do get mastitis and it does not clear up within a few hours you will probably require an antibiotic so speak to your GP.

Make sure to tell him you are breastfeeding so a suitable antibiotic can be prescribed.

To avoid a recurrence make sure you position the baby properly.

Ensure he is not sucking on just the nipple but that he has a good mouthful of the areola too.

Try to sit upright or if lying down do not lie on the breast.

Make sure the baby is tummy-to-tummy with you, his nose and mouth facing the breast and that he is not creating a blockage with his chin or a hand or arms.

Mastitis usually clears up completely within a couple of days so put it in perspective.

Don’t give up breastfeeding because you have mastitis.

Instead ensure you don’t get it again; position your baby correctly, feed on demand and avoid skipping breastfeeds.

Breastfeeding advantages

Breastfeeding has many advantages for both the baby and the mother.  There are many substances in breast milk that can’t be found in cow’s milk.

More so, there are fewer complications associated with breast milk than with cow’s milk.

It has been advertised time and again that it is best for the babies if they are breastfed for the first six months even up to two years.

So why is breast milk so beneficial for the baby?

First of all, only breast milk contains colostrums which are essential for the baby to take.

Commercially-made milks cannot simulate the colostrums made by a mother.

The colostrums contain natural antibodies and immune globulins that are responsible for keeping the baby free from illness for the first few months of its life.

Another advantage breast milk has over cow’s milk is that it allows the mother to save as cow’s milk can be expensive.

The baby can better adapt to breast milk. Their feces are not smelly and they don’t have any difficulty defecating compared to cow’s milk.

Breastfeeding has also been approved to be one of the family planning methods that a family can observe.

Since breastfeeding has been given so much importance, many women have been made aware.

However, despite the awareness, many mothers still report of breast problems associated with lactation.

These problems are most often than not, associated with improper breast feeding techniques.

In order to lower down the incidence of breast related problems due to lactation, it is important that mothers observe the proper techniques of breast feeding.

Ultimately, both the mother as well as the baby will benefit from the proper observance of these techniques.

First of all, you need to prepare your breast for milk-production.

Second and what most mothers fail to realize is how to keep the nipple clean before the baby latches on to it for feeding.

When you plan to breast feed, you should avoid using soap on your nipple.

If this cannot be avoided, your nipple should be wiped using a soft cloth soaked in clean water to make sure your nipple is clean before your baby feeds from it.

Third and perhaps the most important step is to allow your baby to properly latch on to your nipple.

You will know when your baby is latched on properly when your baby’s mouth covers the entire areola and not just the nipples.

It is essential that your baby should latch on properly so that he or she can properly stimulate the “let-down reflex” of your breasts wherein the milk will go down the ducts and out your nipple.

 

There are various nipple exercises to perform in order to prepare your nipp[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-01_02-26-44.jpg” btn=”dark” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”BREASTFEEDING TIPS & ESSENTIALS THAT I WISH I’D KNOWN” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2xlxRO-Y_Q[/video_page_section]

 

 

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