RGV Family

Who doesnt love freebies?!

2009-06-14T20:31:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine sent this link my way and I thought I would share it with all of you!!

Need a nursing cover? How about a free one? You just pay shipping...which is about $8.49. You cant make one that cheap!!

Go here: https://www.uddercovers.com/index1.php
Click on the "Essence Collection." Enter the promotional code "onefree."

Unfortunately, all the "neutral" colors are gone...only pink and blue left...but if you know what you're having then it works out!!

Happy nursing!

Stinky Ol' Cabbage...Not Just for Eating!!

2009-06-02T14:40:00.004-05:00

I recieved this interesting article in a news letter today. Just thought I'd share!

Cabbage Leaves as Treatment for Breast Engorgement
By Elizabeth Ballering, RN, SNM II at Orgeon Health Sciences University

Your milk has come in and boy do you know it! Perhaps your breasts are so hard and tender your baby can't latch to nurse. Perhaps expressing by hand or pump is not working either. You may be at the point where you'll try whatever is available for some relief. Its time to try Cabbage Leaves.

The theory is that there is some chemical in cabbages leaves that reduces milk supply. Research is scant in this area and it isn't conclusive that cabbage leaves are a miracle cure for engorgement. However there are no harmful effects if used correctly and many women have found them to very helpful. Cabbage leaves, with the help of your infant nursing frequently (every 2-3 hours), might be the answer for you.

Uses for Cabbage Leaves

Local engorgement of specific areas (for example those horrible arpit lumps without other areas of engorgement)

Milk engorgement
Venous engorgement
Suppression of lactation for any reason

Sources state that green, ordinary (not Japanese, etc.) cabbage is preferable.

Do not use cabbage leaves if you have an allergy or sensitivity to cabbage (or broccoli, cauliflower, or brussell sprouts for that matter). If a rash appears, immediately discontinue using cabbages leaves and call your health care provider.

Be warned - there might a strong odor of cooked cabbage leaves!

How to Use Cabbage Leaves

Wash the leaves thoroughly.

The veins can be crushed or removed to allow them to be more form fitting to the breast. They can be chilled in the refrigerator as some feel they are more soothing cold, but it is not necessary. Place in a bra, wrapped around the breast with the nipple exposed. Leave on for 2 hours or until wilted and change to fresh leaves if you need to.

Check to see how your breasts are responding with each change and stop using the leaves once engorgement is reduced. Prolonged use AFTER engorgement has subsided carries the risk of suppressing your milk production.

Resources

Nikodem, V.C, Danziger, D., Gebka, N., Gulmezoglu, A.M., and Hofmeyr, G.J (1993). Do cabbage leaves prevent breast engorgement? A randomized, controlled study. Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care and Education 20(2), pp. 61-64.

Roberts, K.L. (1995). A comparison of chilled cabbage leaves and chilled gelpaks in reducing breast engorgement. Journal of Human Lactation 11(1), pp. 17-20.

Roberts, K.L., Reiter, M., and Schuster, D. (1995). A comparison of chilled and room temperature cabbage leaves in treating breast engorgement. Journal of Human Lactation 11(3), pp. 191-194.

Rosier, W (1988). Cool cabbage compresses. Breastfeeding Review 12, pp. 28-31.

Smith, M.K. (2000). New perspectives on engorgement. Leaven, 35(6), pp. 134-36. Retrieved from WWW March 1, 2001.

Good Ol' Consumer Reports

2009-05-26T19:18:00.005-05:00

How much do you think you know about modern day maternity care? Follow the link above and see how you measure up!

**

Now let me tell you why I appreciated this quiz. There are times that I've discussed the issues addressed above and am met with skepticism while my thoughts are simply written off as an "extreme" sort of view. "You're blinded by your own personal bias." But to have an organization like Consumer Reports, who's entire mission is to present objective reviews of various aspects of our society, agree with the same ideas that I have labeled me as "extreme".....well, its rewarding! Score one for the underdogs!

Grace and Peace...

Help a Valley Birth Center

2008-11-25T15:09:00.001-06:00

I hope you dont mind me posting this here, but our local birth center, the oldest in Texas, is struggling and needs help. Here is a forwarded letter from Holy Family Birth Center's midwife, Nancy Sandrock.

-------
Hi Friends,

I am popping in to send out a plea...I am sending this to several lists and folks I know, so I apologize if this is a duplicate, and I also apologize if you are already one of our long time supporters ...

Last year I was asked to come down to Holy Family Services and try to keep it from closing. All the patients had been sent out of the service and there had been no CNM's there full-time for several months. I started seeing patients the week after I got here, and we started having births the next month. It has been a long, sometimes trying year.

I have tried- but I am only one person-. Our staff has been valiant as well. We have updated billing and charges. We have tried our hand at a few fundraisers. We have applied for grants, most of them still pending, many turned down, a few small ones obtained, but none enough to sustain us as yet. Contrary to some thoughts, though Holy Family is on land from the Catholic Diocese, we receive no financial support from the diocese itself, though a few of the parishes try to help us when they are able.

We have been reaching out to our local surrounding communities, but the dollar is not stretching as much for anyone now days.

The bottom line is this 25 year old Free Standing Birth Center, the oldest in Texas, and legendary in midwifery circles because of the legacy of Sister Angela Murdaugh, is very short on funds. We are at a crisis point, and we are praying like crazy that money starts coming in, or we *will* have to face the very real possibility of closing.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...if you know of a way you, or a group you are associated with can help, PLEASE DO!

We are a 501c3 non-profit corporation- so any funds that can be raised on our behalf are tax-deductible.

Perhaps sponsor a fund-raiser, a garage sale, solicit donations from friends of midwives, we would be so grateful.

Feel free to pass on this plea so that we have a chance to stay open!

Thank You!

Nancy Sandrock, RNC, CNM, MSN
Executive Director, Holy Family Services
5819 N. FM 88
Weslaco, Texas 78596
956-969-2538
www.holyfamilybirthcenter.com

----

Thank you,
Nicole Hoff, IBCLC, CD, CBE
BA Maternal & Child Health Studies,
Specialization in Lactation
CEO & Director of Bright Babies, LLC

BRIGHT BABIES
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Breast Pump Rentals & Sales
Certified Doula - Birth Partner
Certified Childbirth Educator
Midwife Apprentice
Baby Sign Language Instructor
...and much more!

Serving Families of South Texas
24/7 Ph. Line: (956) 245-1787
email: nicole@blessedbirthday.com
www.BlessedBirthDay.com
www.MyBrightBabies.com

Wife to Matt, Mom to Jaryn & Kamden
Blog: www.HoffHouse.blogspot.com
Behold, children are a gift of the Lord.
The fruit of the womb is a reward!Psalms 127:3

RGV Mother & Baby Coalition

2008-10-30T14:25:00.000-05:00

RGV Mother & Baby Coalition

Join a new and important network...

The RGV Mother & Baby Coalition

We are a network committed to improving access to options for women and families in the RGV. Become a member and be a part of spreading the word to every Valley mother and family about the valuable resources and support they have right here in South Texas. Join with us in promoting and protecting maternal and child health, prenatal care, "normal birth," childbirth education, doula services, breastfeeding, nutrition, parent and child bonding, recreation, and much more.

OUR MISSION:
To empower, support, and advocate for families in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. We aim to provide women and their families the tools to help them make informed decisions about pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and the postpartum experience. To provide woman and their families compassionate support throughout the childbearing, birthing, and parenting experience. To help woman build confidence and trust in themselves, their body, and birth. To help them embrace pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and the postpartum time. To help promote, support, and protect normal childbirth and breastfeeding.

Everyone in the community is welcomed to join and be a part of this wonderful local mother & baby support network. You don't have to be a mom or have a baby! We need support from people all over the community! Your participation can be as involved as you would like, and will be much appreciated.

At the moment the group will be started online, but will eventually become an active coalition. We will be having meetings and a newsletter starting in 2009!

Please consider joining today and pass on this information to others.

To join, click here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rgvmotherbabycoalition/
This Yahoo group allows subscribers to post messages and discuss mother & baby issues and provides a sense of community among citizens who support Valley families.

Thank you!

Baby Signing Workshop in Harlingen

2008-06-02T05:06:00.000-05:00

You're Invited!
Baby Signing Workshop

Around six or seven months, a baby's cognitive abilities will be developed enough to begin teaching sign language. Baby will already understand the power of vocalization — they cry and you pick them up — but you might not know if they're hungry, needs a change, or is in pain. By 8 to 12 months they may start signing back. Baby sign language gives them a tool to express needs and wants exactly.

Bright Babies Presents....

BABY SIGNING WORKSHOP
Saturday, June 28, 2008
3-5 pm
Lone Star Restaurant, Harlingen, TX

Tuition: $45 to get you started signing

Includes:
Food, drinks, and signing fun!
Tuition for 1 parent and child
Dinner and drinks for 1 adult, dessert for 1 adult
Goodie bag & snack for 1 child (infant or toddler)
Learning resources & packet of handouts
Baby Signing Guide Book

There will be:
Starting to Sign Training
Videos
Parent & Child Activities
Games & Prizes

Children are welcome to attend, especially older siblings. The class can be a bit long for mobile young children. The first hour is mostly training with the second hour being more hands-on interaction if you would like to have someone bring the young child in at that time. You will be free to move around at all times. We will have high chairs and a playpen.

You will learn:
·how to begin signing with your baby
·effective ways to begin teaching signs at home
·easy ways to use signs in daily routines
·what to expect as your baby transitions from signs to speech
·highlights signs that are most important in the lives of babies
·introduces play activities that reinforce important language, cognitive and social- emotional skills
·brings families together to share their signing experiences

Designed for expectant parents, parents with children ages birth to 2 years, day care and childcare providers, teachers, and any that works with parents and children.

Why use Sign language?
Your 8 month old could ask for milk or a drink
Your 10 month old could ask to read
Your 12 month old could say he is hot
Your 18 month old could tell you he is happy!

SIGNING...
• Reduces frustration and builds trust.
• Allows baby to share his/her world with you
• Strengthens the parent/infant bond
• Reveals how smart babies really are.
• Promotes positive emotional development.
• Boosts babies' self-confidence.
• Helps babies learn to talk.
• Jumpstarts intellectual development

Come hungry and ready to learn!

Call or email to reserve your seat!
(956) 245-1787
Feel free to forward information to family & friends!

Learn more at: http://mybrightbabies.com/

Thanks, Nicole Hoff

Hospital Grade Electric BREAST PUMP Rental & DOUBLE KIT

2008-05-10T08:05:00.001-05:00

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220233651933&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DSelling

Rio Grande Valley mothers-to-be

2008-04-21T07:15:00.000-05:00

By David Robledo

Rio Grande Valley mothers-to-be flood Mexican towns in search
of cheap procedure that carries potentially expensive risks

Half a century has passed since scientists first applied the word autistic to children with severe social, communication, and behavioral problems. Research into autism’s prevalence soon followed – with early statistics estimating that 4 out of every 10,000 children were born autistic.
That early statistic has been shattered. Leading research now estimates that autism afflicts one out of every 166 children – with numbers rising. But recent research may be close to solidly establishing at least one cause of this affliction.
Autism is a developmental disability that appears during the first three years of life – a neurological disorder that affects the brain in areas that control verbal and non-verbal communication. Autistic children generally seem more withdrawn or erratically active, respond poorly to social cues, and exhibit learning difficulties early in childhood development.
Recent studies from Yale University, the University of Minnesota and other institutions, however, have drawn a connection between the use of sonograms and the type of brain cell displacement found in autistic children.
But throughout the country, clinics, gynecologists and prenatal portrait studios continue to use sonograms for purely aesthetic reasons, snapping a pre-birth picture or capturing an in-the-womb video – potentially dangerous keepsakes.
The Rio Grande Valley is no exception to the popularity of these vanity sonograms. Some local clinics even advertise free 3-D and 4-D ultrasound videos to attract expectant mothers to their care.
And, like Winter Texans seeking inexpensive medication or blue-collar families in search of affordable dental care, pregnant women are flooding the border towns of Mexico to undergo prenatal ultrasounds – often in tiny, ramshackle offices where intensity levels of ultrasound are unchecked by physicians who sometimes play no consulting role in the birth process.

DOING THE MATH
The research is so compelling that Joe Pennacchio, a Republican legislator in the New Jersey state assembly, used it to spearhead a campaign calling for stricter control on the use of sonograms to image fetuses.
One of the reports Pennacchio relied on, a 2005 report from Yale Medical School, shows that neural brain cell formation in autistic children shows the same pattern as mice exposed to varying degrees of sonograms.
The report – and similar studies coming from leading neurological research centers – can’t be conclusive. But it sets itself apart from other studies into the causes of autism, which often try to make connections between simple exposure of pregnant mothers to suspected toxins or conditions.
Dr. Philip A. Defina, chief neuropsychologist at New York University’s Brain Research Laboratory, said that the Yale analysis and other similar studies do more than establish a possible cause of autism — they establish a direct link.
“When brain cells are developing, they have to go to the right place for correct development of the brain,” DeFina told The Paper of South Texas last week.
“But the brain cells are being reorganized due to sound waves [from sonograms], which can create emotional problems, learning disabilities and autism,” he said.
DeFina, however, did say that sonograms might be just one in a cluster of possible causes of autism, and that more research is needed in that regard.
The New Jersey legislator Pennacchio said the Yale research and other inquiries are invaluable, and could help stem the rising tide of autism in the U.S. – a neurological phenomenon he described as “epidemic.”

MEXICAN DISCOUNT
Viagra, braces, penicillin, stomach tucks – the remedies and surgical procedures available to Rio Grande Valley residents on the streets of Mexico are almost endless.
Sometimes the risks are well known, but overlooked in exchange for a few saved dollars. Sometimes, however, the risks are impossible to fathom, as modern science slowly reveals the dangers of current medications and procedures.
Dr. Alberto Treviño Castillo is one of dozens of Mexican radiologists who rely on sonogram business from Rio Grande Valley residents for a living. Offices like his can be found in cities throughout northern Tamaulipas, clustering near clinics and hospitals.
The physician said in an interview with The Paper that Valley residents seek his radiology and sonogram services in Nuevo Progreso for a host of reasons – sometimes to help diagnose brain tumors or intestinal problems, or to locate broken bones.
Ninety percent of his patients are from the U.S. Of those he treats, the large majority are women in search of prenatal sonograms, he said.
Dr. Treviño, like most doctors, believes sonograms are safe. He said that he hasn’t heard of research that would connect autism with the use of sonograms.

PRESENT POLICIES
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also considers the use of sonograms relatively safe, although the agency does recommend that sonograms be used only when there is a medical necessity. The administration does, however, warn against the “unknown” risks of repeatedly exposing a fetus to ultrasound.
“As compelling as (ultrasound) sneak previews may be, the FDA is warning women about the potential hazards of getting keepsake videos,” the agency says in a recent report. “The long-term effects of repeated ultrasound exposures on the fetus are not fully known.”
Insurance companies and government-funded medical assistance programs consider sonograms safe, and offer coverage for the procedure in cases of medical necessity.
But physicians who recognize the dangers of sonograms to unborn children say the definition of “medical necessity” is far too broad, and too many women receive unnecessary ultrasound imaging throughout their pregnancies.
In the case of women who seek sonograms in Mexico, the lack of necessity is way out of hand, said Nivea Fisch, a nurse and midwife with Harlingen Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates.
Fisch is one of the few local medical personnel who advocate against the use of sonograms in most pregnancies, although she does support the use of sonograms in certain cases when the fetus or mother is in danger.
Fisch said that most U.S. doctors limit the scans to two or three in a pregnancy, but women who use sonogram services in Mexico sometimes will get one or more per month. At about $20 each, sonograms in Mexico are cheaper than their approximately $300 U.S. counterparts, and they’re easier to schedule than the same procedure in the U.S.

ANOTHER THEORY, SAME PROBLEM
Dr. Chris Johnson, a leading researcher in autism detection from San Antonio, said that one possible reason for the rising ratio of children born with autism is simply that the condition is tested for at a higher rate.
“It probably relates to a number of factors, including broader criteria, increasing professional and public awareness of the symptom spectrum, better ascertainment and perhaps a true rise in prevalence,” she said.
For parents of autistic children, the possible link between autism and sonograms has the ring of other warnings too numerous to count.
Missy Renaud, board member of a burgeoning local autism support group and mother to two autistic children, said that she’s read so many reports linking autism to environmental factors, there’s no way to make sense of the alleged risks.
“If you pay attention to all the warnings, and all the claims about the cause of autism, you have to shut down completely,” Renaud said.
Renaud said that she went through minimal use of sonograms – about two per child. But, even if there is a link between autism and ultrasound, there’s plenty of other work to be done.
With reported autism cases skyrocketing, Renaud and parents like her focus on helping children with the condition live full lives, and educating the public about autistic children’s potential. But without serious allocation of resources to learn the causes, Renaud thinks that the U.S. – the Rio Grande Valley included – could be facing a severe educational challenge that will characterize an entire generation in a way that has never before been seen. •

Help Your Kids Perform Better

2008-04-18T03:12:00.000-05:00

10 Parenting Tips To Help Your Kids Perform Better in Life

10 Parenting Tips To Help Your Kids Perform Better in Life
By Preeti Narayan

Want your children to perform better in life and enjoy more success?

Here are ten tips that will help you to motivate your children to perform better...

1. Shower praise and encouragement on them. This is a great way to inspire your children to perform better.

2. Provide safe and supportive environment to your children. Laugh and Play with them. Do things together. Talk with them. Let them express their opinion and feelings.

3. Allow your children to explore and build their natural abilities and interest. For example, if your son is interested in painting, let him paint. Encourage him to participate in painting competitions.

4. Appreciate and praise whatever abilities and qualities your children have. Never compare your children with others and criticize them.

5. Don't just ask about tests and grades. Frequently ask your children what new things they are learning in school. What fun they had. This helps to create a positive impression in your children's mind that school is also about learning and fun, not just exams.

6. Celebrate your children's every achievement, even if it's small. Hang your children's craftwork or schoolwork on a wall or refrigerator.

7. Talk with your children regularly to make sure they are not feeling overwhelmed with study work, extracurricular activities and other work. If they are, help them prioritize their work. Ask them to do the most important work first and leave the less important work to the last.

8. Try to remove your children's fear and weaknesses. The best way to do it is to encourage your children to focus on their strength and good qualities.

9. Make sure your children eat healthy, nutritious food. Also, never allow your children to go to school without a good breakfast in the morning. As research shows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and influences mental performance.

10. Encourage your children to exercise for 30 minutes a day. This keeps the body fit and healthy. Also, make sure your children sleep for at least 7 or 8 hours. Good sleep provides adequate rest to brain which helps to learn better and remember more.

All the above tips are simple. If you use them regularly, you will see immense improvement in your children's confidence and success.

Also, if you want to make success more easy for your children, then you can encourage them to take part in the free Success Mindware training available at http://www.mindpowerguide.biz

Want more parenting tips? Download free Positive Parenting ebook and Success Training manual for children written by Preeti Narayan, who is educational expert and co-author of 'Success Mindware' an All-in-One self development course for children at http://www.mindpowerguide.biz

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Preeti_Narayan
http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Parenting-Tips-To-Help-Your-Kids-Perform-Better-in-Life&id=1116243

ABC's

2008-04-18T03:11:00.001-05:00

You Can Help Your Children Learn the Alphabet - Here's How

You Can Help Your Children Learn the Alphabet - Here's How
By Barbara Freedman-De Vito

Government studies confirm that children who are read to and and who recognize the letters of the alphabet have an easier time learning how to read and thus do better in school, so maximize your children's exposure to the letters of the alphabet. Give them alphabet books, alphabet blocks, alphabet magnets and clothing decorated with the alphabet. Here are some ideas for using such objects in simple alphabet and spelling games that you can play with your young children, to help them get off on the right foot, and do it all while making it an enjoyable part of everyday life.

Make a game of naming the letters of the alphabet and pronouncing the sounds that they make. Practice them in alphabetical order and, later, in random order. Sing the alphabet song, while pointing to the letters of the alphabet. Go around the room and hang signs on common objects with simple one and two-syllable names: "table," "bed," "lamp," and such. Help your children name the letters in them and spell and pronounce the words. Later, once the spellings are known, remove the signs, but continue to have the children spell the words for you. Look at pictures of everyday objects and use movable letters, such as alphabet magnets or blocks or flash cards, to form the words and practice their spellings.

Always try to reinforce that magical connection between the names of letters, the sounds that letters make, and how the letters come together to form pronounceable words that represent real objects, but always keep it within the confines of fun and games. Create no pressure and don't criticize for wrong answers, but give plenty of praise for correct ones. Be imaginative and light-hearted in your approach.

Don't force rote learning on young children, and never forget that individual children learn at different rates. Let them absorb what they can, as their cognitive skills develop, and reinforce progress made by practicing it in as many different settings and contexts as possible. For example, one day it might be pictures in books, another day it may be alphabet blocks or magnets spelling out words, another day hang signs on objects, another day wear an alphabet T-shirt and point to the letters on it. Indoors and outdoors, you might sometimes look at objects and name them, then write out the words and spell them. At other times, with a child who's already mastered the basics, you could make simple rebusses to demonstrate the connections between pictures and written words.

Create artwork with your children. While fingerpainting a flower, you might help the child fingerpaint the letter "F" for flower. Guide your child's hand in forming letter shapes to imitate those seen on alphabet blocks and such, or paint a letter and work it into a design. Create letters in paint and in clay, carve them into bars of soap, draw them in crayon, scratch them in the sand at the beach, form letters in shaving cream on the bathroom mirror - use whatever is at hand to create spontaneous moments of joyful sharing with your child.

Variety of media, times of day, and places will keep it all fresh and fun and reduce the risk of boredom. Learning should not be dull or tedious. It's a key part of life and there should be no arbitrary boundaries between daily life, learning and play. (Also, beyond the immediate goal of promoting alphabet skills, positive learning experiences at an early age can make learning, itself, an exciting opportunity for discovery and feelings of accomplishment. Self-affirming early learning experiences help children start school with more positive attitudes that can affect their success in school... and in life.)

As time goes on, show your child how to print his or her name and, as alphabet learning progresses, don't forget that both capital letters AND small letters are equally important. Help your child sign his or her first name on any pictures that are drawn, and on any birthday cards to grandma and grandpa, etc. The stronger the connection grows between alphabet letters, sounds and written words, the more reading-ready your child becomes.

Muster up all of your creativity. Pose your body in the shape of a simple letter that's familiar to your child and have him or her guess what letter you are. Outstretched arms and you have the letter "T," arms and legs out at angles, and you've created an "X". At Christmas time, lay a string of twinkly Christmas lights on the floor and form letter shapes with them. Lay building blocks or dominoes end-to-end to create giant letters. Perhaps try alphabet magnets, with one animal picture for each letter of the alphabet. You might line them up on your refrigerator to make a complete alphabet. Then at unexpected moments, like while you're preparing breakfast, choose an object in the room, such as a cup and spell it out on the fridge. Spell family members' names, play a simple scrabble game, or leave secret messages.

You may decide to give your child an alphabet t-shirt, and you could wear one yourself. That way, every time your child looks up at you, the shapes of the letters of the alphabet will be subtly reinforced. Such tender moments of sharing, with your young child cuddled in your lap, can turn into fun, unforgettable learning milestones.

It's impossible to stress strongly enough the importance of working some of these alphabet learning games into your child's life. U.S. National Institute of Health studies have shown that "... at least 95% of even the poorest readers can learn to read at grade level if they are given proper instruction in sound-letter relationships." So, if you haven't done so already, please get going with your own kids now !

There's really no limit to the ways in which you can integrate alphabet practice into the daily life of your child. Just use your "I-M-A-G-I-N-A-T-I-O-N."

You can find alphabet t-shirts and other alphabet items by visiting Alphabet T-Shirts for Kids, Parents & Teachers Barbara is a teacher, author and artist.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Freedman-De_Vito
http://EzineArticles.com/?You-Can-Help-Your-Children-Learn-the-Alphabet---Heres-How&id=1111465