Stress on Child Development - Poverty

A lot of my student teaching and practicum practice took place in low-income areas with at-risk youth. It was not uncommon for me to encounter children who lived in shelters, pay as you stay hotels, or in cars. I think children are very strong and resilient. I think that the children that I worked with coped/survived because they had to, it was second nature, and they were surrounded by people in similar situations. Although the survived, there were plenty of behavioral infractions, fights, and young children feeling the need to be strong and tough at all times. I think the ramifications of these children having to protect themselves, and be tough impacted their ability to experience childhood to its fullest.

Bullying is a major issue in German schools, as is the drop out rate. Although it is not explained in the resource below, I think that the drop out rate has plenty to do with the level f bullying that takes place. Specific organizations have been put in place in order to combat the dropout rate in addition to decreasing the level of violence and bullying in schools.

I think it is a major key that children feel like school is a safe place. Not feeling a sense of safety impacts a child's willingness and desire to attend school.

https://germanyglobalissues.weebly.com/major-social-issues.html

Breast Is Best

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When new moms ask me for advice or when I simply feel the need to share I almost always express that God gives us children, therefore, he ALWAYS gives us the necessary skills, wisdom, and patience to care for them.

However, the is one issue where I hold a strong position. Nursing is a topic that I support wholeheartedly for the first year of the child's life.
Why? Because, of its nutritional value, as well as the bonding aspect. I personally nursed my daughter up until her first birthday. When I went back to work./school I did both, but when I was with her I was her food source, as well as her security object.

Below you will find excerpts from Breastfeeding. Salem Press Encyclopedia Of Science.
These excerpts were specifically selected as they reflect the reasons why I decided to breastfeed and the reasons why I think and believe that if the body and circumstances allow it all mothers should. 

"The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant's life with continued breastfeeding following the introduction of solid foods up to at least one year of age and beyond."

"Breast milk best meets the infant’s needs and is the standard by which infant formulas are judged. Several nutrient characteristics make it the ideal infant food. Lactose, the carbohydrate content of breast milk, is the same simple sugar found in any milk, but the protein content of breast milk is uniquely tailored to meet infant needs."

"Breastfeeding also encourages infant bonding, a process in which the mother and baby form an attachment."

"There is an association between reduced breast cancer rates and breastfeeding, although the reason is not known. In addition, the hormonal influences caused by suckling the infant help to contract the uterus, returning it to prepregnancy size and controlling postpartum blood loss. Breastfeeding also helps to reduce the mother’s weight"


According to https://www.romper.com/p/what-is-breastfeeding-like-in-asia-you-may-be-surprised-64389 
"the rates of breastfeeding have declined over the past few decades, according to the Asia Pacific Population Journal."
"The reasons for the decline are as varied as the countries they're occurring in — everything from cultural practices, which may lead to the decreased ability to breastfeed, to demand placed on mothers to return to work quickly after having a baby. A noted few exceptions like Japan, South Korea, and Bangladesh, have all seen a rise in breastfeeding rates in the past 10 years."

Moving forward the information that I found will not change anything that I am already doing. When asked I will continue to promote breastfeeding for at minimum the first 6 months of an infants life.


Resources:

Stuhldreher, W. P. (2013). Breastfeeding. Salem Press Encyclopedia Of Science,

Below are some links to articles regarding breastfeeding if you would like more information or are seeking to expand your knowledge concerning the topic.

https://internationalbreastfeedingjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/default.aspx

Giving Birth to Christyn

During my pregnancy with my first born, I attended all of the cute little parenting, nursing, and new parent classes offered at my hospital. So on September 6th, 2014 when my water broke in the mall I felt that I was prepared for my big day. 

I remember leaving the mall, going home, taking a shower, grabbing my over packed hospital bag, and heading to the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital I went right into the room where I would give birth to the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen. The contractions started off tolerable, however, I was having a hard time dilating so I was given pitocin.  On September 7th after the pitocin the contractions kicked up and I needed medicine. Within a few hours later my beautiful baby was here healthy and wide-eyed. 

I remember the hospital was clean and sanitary. Everyone wore gloves and seemed pretty sterile. They took my baby after about 3-5 minutes of skin to skin to clean her and check her vitals. The umbilical cord was cut pretty quickly. And nurses were coming in around the clock.

Now I live in Belgium. I am 22 weeks pregnant and so far EVERYTHING has been different, yet quite similar. First things first my doctor is not fluent in English. The language here is French. Also, they do not use gloves when collecting blood. In the hospital where I will give birth there is only 4 birthing rooms total. They are strongly against pain medicine and believe that everything should be done naturally. They do not wash the baby right away and after birth, they leave the mom alone to bond with the baby. They strongly encourage nursing, and they encourage parents to keep things as natural as possible. This time around I plan to have a water birth, no meds, and to document this experience. 

If I had to compare my experiences, so far my Belgium one takes the cake. Although it is nothing like America I know that I am in good hands and so is my baby.

Stephanie D and Laretha T. Thank you for always having a blog for me to respond to. I appreciate the way in which you helped me to grow as a professional and opened my eyes to other perspectives. Stephanie, I really appreciate how organized and comprehensive your blog was. You taught me a thing or two about organization and order. Thank you for that. I hope that you women have much success in the remainder of your program and that the remainder of your Walden experience is worth wild. I also hope that all of your professional goals come true. Again, thank you.