Baby Massage

Click on these links for resources about the importance of Bonding and Baby Massage:

Newborn Care

Here are some excellent resources about Newborn care.

Prenatal Memory

Do you remember being born? Is it even possible?

Image from Babycenter.com

Thirty years ago I wrote a research paper about Prenatal Memory. I had no children so I observed a friend as she asked her two year old son. I also interviewed a family member about the experience of asking a child about prenatal life.

There are some things to consider if you decide to have this conversation.

1. Your child must be able to talk and have enough vocabulary words to form a description.   
2. You should ask your child sometime between the ages of two – three because the memories will be tucked away in the sub-conscious after that.
3. The conversation must be initiated by the mother. This is a special connection between a mother and child. Family and friends should not approach a child and ask for these private details without the mother’s permission and presence.

Here are the first three stories followed by background information:

1.  Toddler said, “The drums were too loud”.

Background: This mom was a music teacher. Every day after lunch she taught the percussion instrument class and her baby moved more than any other time of the day.

2.  Toddler said, “My head got cold.”

Background: The delivery of this baby took almost 3 hours during the pushing phase.  And from the moment she was born she was not happy unless she had something on her head.  She continued to wear hats as she grew up. Once she started school she was forced to leave her hat at home. Several times she would sneak it in her backpack and put it on by the time she got off the bus.

3.  Toddler said, “There was poop in my face and I went like this (punched his fist in the air). Mom asked, “Do remember hearing anything?” Toddler pointed to mom’s chest and said, “Yeah, you know, boom, boom, boom.” Mom said, “You mean my heartbeat?” Toddler smiled real big and said, “Yeah!”

Background: Toddler was being potty trained and had successfully pooped just days prior to the remarks. He may have remembered seeing the umbilical cord and called it “poop” because of the visual reference. His mom also explained that he was born with one arm sticking out first and that the delivery was excruciating and dangerous because of the additional circumference of the head plus arm.

Image from blog, Craigslistdad

Years later when my own son was two and a half, I decided it was time to find out what he remembered. He was a very articulate child. I held him on my lap and spoke quietly and calmly. I asked if he remembered being a baby in mommy’s tummy. He shook his head while his straight, blond bangs bobbled. I coaxed him. "Do you remember being born?"

Then, very timidly, he put his fingers together to create a circle about the size of a pencil eraser and said, “There was a teeny tiny hole and I broke it and made you cry.”

I assured him that he did not hurt mommy. Then I asked if he remembered hearing or seeing anything when he was in mommy’s tummy?

He shook his head vigorously and fixed his eyes on my neck. Then he leaned forward and hollered at my throat, “Tommy, you in there?”

Background: The pregnancy was high-risk in addition to many tests for his irregular fetal heartbeat. Several times a day I would pat my tummy and say, “Tommy, you in there? How ya doin', buddy?”, then would continue reassuring him. I was hospitalized with preeclampsia at 37 weeks. Had amniocentesis to see if his lungs were mature enough to be born. I was scheduled to be induced however when I lost my vision I was induced immediately after they got my blood pressure under control. He was born 33 hours later, after a difficult labor and vacuum suction delivery. Apgar scores were low and he was rushed to Children’s Rainbow for evaluation.  After spending 8 days in the hospital we were released with a clean bill of health. By the time he was able to walk he had an obsession with vacuum cleaners and by the time he was 7 had collected over 25 different models. Today he is 25 and won't let me forget  how upset he was when I made him get rid of the collection. 

So, when my daughter was about the same age and like her brother, had a large vocabulary, I couldn't wait to see what she would tell me about prenatal life. But she was a very rambunctious child so holding her on my lap for long was almost impossible. I managed to start the conversation, asking if she remembered being a baby in my tummy. She wiggled around while shaking her head, “Yes”. I quickly asked if she remembered being born. She stiffened and slid off my lap, walked a few feet from me, squatted, grunted and said, “You pooped me out.”

Do I really need to explain? Obviously, my daughter was paying attention!

See Prenatal Memory for more information.

Community Resources

Welcome back to school!
There are so many inportant topics to cover at the beginning of each school year but knowing about your community resources will help you navagate your way through pregancy and parenting. This week we will learn about some federal, state and local resources and how you might qualify  for assistance.

Here are some of the online links to many of the resources:

Summit County WIC
Akron Street Card
2015 Poverty Income Guidelines
JFS Child Care Fact Sheet
JFS Food Assistance Fact Sheet
JFS PRC Services Fact Sheet
JFS Workforce Fact Sheet

Blizzard Bag 2

Today you will continue to explore your interests, attitudes, goals, skills and expectations for your future.

1. As a student you have probably experienced these 3 types of goals. They are determined by the length of time it takes to achieve them. Look at the following bulleted goals and complete the worksheet, Personal Goals

• Long-term goal = in a year or more
• Short-term goal = between one and several months
• Immediate Goals = in a day or week

2. There are so many resources you can use to accomplish goals and solve problems. Look at the 3 types of resources in the bullets below.

GRADS Blizzard Bag 1

Today you will explore your interests, attitudes, goals, skills 

and expectations for your future. 

1. You may already know how to set goals and make decisions. The first activity will activate your prior knowledge to see what you know before the lesson. Open this form and list the words into the categories given. Matching Goal Setting and Decision Making Terms

2. You've been invited to our GRADS Blizzard Bag Pinterest Board. Login to Pinterest.  Read the Poem: Star Light, Star Bright on our board.
Think about some of the methods you used to make wishes when you were young. How were your wishes supposed to come true?

Obesity Message Reaches Parents

A look at the changing obesity landscape for kids
By Leanne Italie
Associated Press

Published: February 26, 2014 - 10:17 PM
NEW YORK: Is the anti-
obesity message finally getting through?

A marked drop in the obesity rate among preschoolers in the United States has researchers and parents pointing to a variety of possible factors.
Among them: public-awareness campaigns to get parents to serve healthier food to their children; a drop in soda consumption; healthier menus at fast-food chains; more access to fruits and vegetables in some neighborhoods; changes in government food aid; and longer breast-feeding, which is often associated with improved weight control.

Tylenol During Pregnancy

Acetaminophen in pregnancy linked to 'ADHD-like behaviors'

Doctors frequently recommend acetaminophen, commonly found in over-the-counter pain relievers including Tylenol, to pregnant women for treating mild pain.

But a new study out of Denmark suggests the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy could be associated with ADHD-like behavioral problems in children.

“(Pregnant women) shouldn’t worry at this point,” says study author Dr. Beate Ritz, professor and chair of the epidemiology department at the University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health. “But if I were a woman who was pregnant ... I would try to avoid taking painkillers as much as I can until we know more about this.”

Lower C-Section Rates

Ob/Gyn Groups Issue Guidelines to Lower C-Section Rates

HealthDayFeb. 19, 2014Leave a Comment SHARE

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay Reporter





WEDNESDAY, Feb. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Two major medical groups representing America's obstetricians/gynecologists issued joint guidelines on Wednesday aimed at curbing the overuse of cesarean sections in first-time mothers.

One major change: Extending the length of time a woman should be allowed to be in labor, to help lower the odds she will require a C-section.

Grim Rate of Ohio's Infant Mortality Rate

Why Ohio must tackle infant mortality: editorial




Ohio needs to do a lot more to prevent premature births and sleep-related hazards that can kill babies in their first year. (Bill Haber/AP)

By Editorial Board on February 11, 2014 at 8:30 PM, updated February 11, 2014 at 8:33 PM

One clear conclusion is apparent from the statistically-rich 2012 child fatality review report for Cuyahoga County: Creative methods to reduce infant mortality, particularly black infant mortality, must be found.