News Moms Need

According to Claire Kamp Dush, an assistant professor of human development and family science at Ohio State, family stability (regardless of whether it’s a one or two parent household) may help a child succeed in school and life. Her findings appear in “Marriage and Family: Perspectives and Complexities,” a recently published book that she co-edited.

She looked at information gathered from nearly 5,000 households nationwide during two long-term periods over three decades. While many past studies show an advantage for children growing up in married households, Kamp Dush notes those did not distinguish between family structure and family stability. “Our results suggest that the key for many children is growing up in a stable household, where they don’t go through divorce or other changes in the family, whether that is in a single-parent home or a married home,” Kamp Dush said.

 Lindsay wrote a post about the stress of being a single parent. Click here to read her tips for coping.

The flu season will be here before you know it. Health experts believe the swine flu will be back along with the regular seasonal flu.

To help pregnant women and new moms learn more, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aired a Webcast last Thursday. It’s now archived on the CDC Web site.

By the way, swine flu is now also called H1N1 flu. And the vaccine is expected in October. Pregnant women are one of the top-priority groups for receiving the vaccine.  News Moms Need will let you know as soon as the vaccine is ready.

Also, pregnant women should be vaccinated against seasonal flu. That vaccine is already available. So if you’re pregnant, ask your health care provider about it now.

Working outside the home and raising a family: That’s a tall order! So much to do, so little time.

But companies can help parents by being “family friendly.” What does that mean? Here are some policies that companies have put in place: 

* Flextime. Moms and dads adjust when they start and leave work to accommodate day care, doctor’s appointments, games, recitals, school plays, etc. When my sister went back to work after the birth of her youngest son, flextime was her top priority.

* Paid leave time for new moms and dads.

* Job-sharing and part-time work.

* Telecommuting. Mom and dads work some days from home and stay in touch with the company by computer.

* A special space for breastfeeding moms. This may be just a small, plain room. But it makes it possible for moms to express milk in privacy. No more struggling with the pump in a bathroom stall.

* Backup child care for when the usual plans fall apart. And I don’t have to tell you: they do fall apart now and then.

Every year Working Woman magazine recognizes companies that are “family friendly.” Take a look at the list of the top 100 and what they do to help their employees be good parents. How does your company compare?

The November issue of American Baby magazine includes ideas from moms about how they manage stress and keep their cool.

Here are a few of those ideas:
  * Go to the gym.
  * Take a long walk with your baby in the stroller.
  * Ask your partner to help out.
  * Join a new moms group.

What do you do when you’re having a bad day?

Here’s the story with breathing techniques. Back in the day, complex breathing patterns were taught to correlate with the various stages of labor. Several methods of childbirth preparation emphasized breathing as the primary way to relieve pain during labor. However, unless diligently practiced with a well-trained support person, these highly structured techniques have the potential to produce hyperventilation. 

Breathing is a tool to provide adequate oxygenation for mom and baby and to enhance relaxation. For best results, techniques should be simple, easy to follow, paced at the mother’s own rate and may include a pattern if she desires. Her respiratory rate should never be more than double and she should never feel air hunger at the end of a contraction.

So, whether you’re rehearsing, “IN…out-out-out…IN”, or “pant-pant-BLOW” get some professional guidance so you don’t get dizzy!

Newsweek has a wonderful online story, with photos of medal-winning moms and their kids. Take a look.

And give yourself a gold medal:

• For all the dirty diapers you’ve changed
• For the sleepless nights you’ve spent soothing your little one
• For the prenatal visits you’ve made for the health of your baby and yourself
• For being sure your child gets her vaccinations
• For all the things you do for your family  

Enoy the games!

Image credit: Maix, Wikimedia Commons

A baby’s smile can lighten his mother’s mood, according to a study published in the July issue of the medical journal Pediatrics. When researchers showed mothers photos of their smiling infants, the “reward centers” of the moms’ brains lit up. The study was small: only 28 mothers. But if you’re a mom, you already know how your baby’s smile can brighten your day!