The Refuge Website

The Minica Family’s Walk for Life Donation Page

Unfortunately, our current culture is one in which most young men and women don’t have the experience they really need when they become parents for the first time. Families are smaller, and girls and women are encouraged to be away from the home and family much more than in previous generations. Because of this, when many new babies are born, their parents feel unsure in how to take care of them, and especially how to soothe their cries. This book is very straightforward and easy to read and understand, giving new parents the techniques and therefore the confidence they need to care for their newborns.

Being a Christian myself, I don’t agree with the perspective that the author comes from when he talks about the evolution of man and babies being born 3 months too soon. Personally, I know from the Bible that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and God’s plan for each baby’s birth is in His perfect time. I do agree with the author’s belief that newborn babies handle the first 3 months of their lives much better when the transition from womb to the outside world is a gentle one. The utter helplessness of my newborn daughter is God’s way of drawing me close to her. I have discovered through my experience that babies cannot be spoiled for the first 3 months of their lives, but rather they simply need to be with their mothers as much as possible during this special time that goes by so quickly.

I really like the 5 S’s that the author gives – Swaddling, Side/Stomach, Shushing, Swinging, and Sucking. They are very easy to remember, and that is important for me when I’m up with a baby in the middle of the night and too foggy-headed to remember what I read in the parenting books about that night’s particular problem. Each baby is different, and there are no cure-all solutions that will work for every baby, but the techniques in this book do work. Patience is needed to find out what works best for your baby.

I highly recommend this book for parents having a new baby, whether or not this is your first child. The only caution I would give is for Christians who might be offended by the references to evolution, but these are overlooked fairly easily.

You can buy this book here, and if you use this link a small amount of the sale will be donated to Doula San Antonio, who uses the donated funds to help moms in crisis pregnancies around the San Antonio area. Thank you!

Author: Brenda Minica, CD (CBI)

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockabye, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
and out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
but I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Author Unknown

 Mail this post]]> http://www.doulasanantonio.com/babies-dont-keep/feed 0 http://www.doulasanantonio.com/giving-your-newborn-baby-a-bath http://www.doulasanantonio.com/giving-your-newborn-baby-a-bath#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:03:07 +0000 admin http://www.doulasanantonio.com/?p=1248

Brace yourselves, this one is cool! (to a young mother at least! *grin*)

I had one of those “now no one can tell me that Essential Oils don’t work” experiences, and just had to share.

One of my college roommates had a baby (her fifth) the Friday of convention. (that makes her two weeks old tomorrow, kind of important to know that.)

On Friday of last week, she came into town (she lives in a small town an hour away from here,) to have her “well baby” visit.

*Note* This is not a natural woman. She and I are really like oil and water when it comes to…well almost everything. We are, amazingly, the best of friends despite our vast differences, so she patiently puts up with my ‘radical ramblings.’ We share religions and both are very spiritual. (I was supposed to act as doula for her at the birth, but she allowed the Dr. to induce her under the contrived thought that she has fast labors and she lives an hour away from the hospital…*sigh*)

The baby was horribly jaundiced at this one-week visit. Her billirubin level was 21.6.

The Dr. told Shirley that brain damage occurs at 25 and that she would have to leave her baby at the hospital. They then told her that while they had room for the baby, that there was not room for her to stay, and that she would have to leave her baby. She adamantly refused, reminding them that she was breastfeeding, and told them that there must be another way.

The hospital staff finally relented and agreed that if she would stay in town, that they would loan her a billirubin light and blanket. She took it and went immediately to her sister’s house a few miles from the hospital and plugged it in to see if it would help.

She called me in a panic. I went over with my Peace & Calming and my White Angelica. I am out of Trauma Life, or would have taken that too. I got there and listened while she cried and stressed over her new angel. (I put Peace & Calming on before I walked in, under the thought that she might not let me put any of the oils ON her, so at least she could smell it. I was right.) She refused all offers of oils because they might make the baby not want to nurse. I didn’t argue.

She asked me for advice, and I said that what I would do would be to pray and ask Heavenly Father to tell her what to do to help the baby, and reminded her that as a mother, she is ENTITLED to divine guidance, because they are HIS children too.

She thanked me and said that just talking had made her much calmer, and that she felt better (Peace & Calming, anyone? *grin*).

The next morning, the baby’s billirubin count had climbed to 22, despite staying in the blanket except while nursing. Shirley commented that she was looking sicker.

I asked if she had prayed and she said ‘yes, but nothing is coming.’ I told her to listen, and accept the answer, even if it was confusing to her.

(She had felt for a few days that the baby needed a chiropractic adjustment, but her Dr REFUSED to allow it, so now she was desperate.)

My phone rang at 10:30 that night. Shirley said: “I have an embarrassing question to ask.” I said, “Shoot!”

After hemming and hawing for a minute and me assuring her that we had gone thru enough together that I would not be offended at whatever it was…*smile* she finally asked:

“Do you know what an enema is?”

I about died laughing! I said. “Of course I know what an enema is, my whole family uses them when we are sick!”

“Oh, then you know how to give one?”

“Of course!”

“To a baby?”

“Of course!” I said.

Quiet on the line…”Well, that is my answer and I have no idea what to do.”

I then told her how to give a baby an enema with a nasal aspiration bulb and she asked if I would come over after church the next day and help her if she didn’t have the courage to do it that night. I said, “Of course!”

After church, (I broke the Sabbath, but it was a case of “ox in a mire” in my opinion) I went to a drug store and got the best enema bag I could find and headed over (with every oil I have and my Essential Oil Desk Reference in hand…and a prayer in my heart that she would let me use them).

I got there and she started gushing…”I did it, and she felt better, I could tell! She was so patient, and felt such relief, I am so glad I did it!”

I asked her what the baby’s poop had looked like and she told me it was still meconium (sp?). AT TEN DAYS OLD!!!

My babies are pooping mustard like, breast milk poop at 48 hours old at the most! We talked about it and she agreed that her others had cleared their meconium a lot sooner, and that this might be ‘part of the problem’.

I asked if she wanted me to help her do another enema and she agreed. I then asked if she cared if I used some Essential Oils on the baby, and she (much to my surprise) said “Sure, if you think it will help.”

I was so happy! I suggested that we start with a prayer so that we would have guidance and know what to do to help she and the baby get home sooner. We did.

I rubbed Peace & Calming all over both of us moms first. *grin*

I put Valor on the baby’s feet and then opened my Lavender. I rubbed Lavender on her head and down the bridge of her nose (I had no idea why, it just felt right.) By the time I could get the cap back on my Lavender, the baby’s eyes were FLOWING yellow goop. (I mean flowing, like tears!)

Shirley said, “Wait, this is making her sick, it is bothering her eyes.” I said “NO!!! That is the billirubin! Look!”

And sure enough, it was…just yellow gunk, pouring out the closest outlet it could. It ran for a few minutes (while the baby laid there totally content and cooing, by the way) then slowed down. I suggested we do another enema to see if that would help.

We got our distilled water warm and I put a few drops of Endo Flex (I was out of Juva Flex, and EF was recommended in the EODR) in the water. We sucked up the oil and did another baby enema. She was still passing almost straight meconium. While she worked the water out, I rubbed a few drops of Frankincense down her spine then added some Cedarwood. I then did a raindrop technique-like motion with the feathering and pulling away from the spine. (Super gently, no one attack me!)

We then put Release on her liver and Lavender all over her belly (two or three drops of each).

We put Endo Flex on her feet and Rosemary on her back.

When we took that diaper off, she had urinated so much that the whole diaper was almost orange! The billirubin was just FLOWING out of this tiny body!

We did one more enema and that one almost looked green instead of like black tar.

I asked her what oils she wanted to keep, and she chose Rosemary and Endo Flex and Lavender. She rubbed them on the baby all evening and whenever she woke to nurse.

Okay, really long story…but the next morning, Shirley took the baby to the Dr. to check her levels and they were down to 15! He told her that if she stabilized there, that she could go home the next day.

On Tuesday morning, her levels were DOWN again, (to 14) and she got to go home on Tuesday!

Used with permission. Names have been changed. For more information about essential oils, contact me or visit http://www.buyessentialoils.org.

Acid reflux in infant is actually a common problem. This article will talk about the basic things you need to know about acid reflux in babies. Get to know just how many babies are affected by acid reflux, why they get it, and how the condition progresses if left untreated.

What Are The Statistics?

In babies with acid reflux, studies show that 50 percent of all infants have acid reflux during the first 2 to 3 months of life. Most of the time, infants experience the condition after feeding. In other cases however, an infant may experience reflux while crying, straining, or coughing.

Generally, infants with acid reflux are not necessarily irritated or unhappy. In fact, many infants who have acid reflux are healthy and happy. Almost all infants will no longer have acid reflux after 12 to 18 months. However, there are a few who may continue to show signs and symptoms of acid reflux after 18 months and so may require medical attention.

Why Do Infants Get Acid Reflux?

The condition is often a natural occurrence. Our body will sometimes produce more acid in the stomach than needed, and this can be caused by several reasons. For instance, when we eat considerably more than usual in one sitting, our body will try to process the large amount of food we just consumed by secreting more acid. Acid may therefore build up in the stomach and cause us to regurgitate. Since babies tend to be lying down most of the time or fall asleep after feeding, some acid may end up in the esophagus.

What Happens If The Condition Isn’t Treated?

The similarity between acid reflux in infant and in an adult is that, in both cases, the condition can worsen if left untreated. Acid reflux can continue to progress especially in infants that experience reflux after 18 months. Constant spitting and coughing often characterize common symptoms of infant acid reflux. Sometimes, your baby may also vomit, feed poorly and become irritated.

Left untreated, accumulation of acid in the stomach may become so bad that he or she will start to develop more serious complications. Since acid reflux involves the acid and enzymes in the stomach and travels up to the esophagus, the areas around those parts of the body can also be negatively affected.

For instance, your baby may start having breathing problems because acid can travel to the esophagus and affect the areas around it such as the breast area. Furthermore, your baby may have a bloody stool and experience blood loss due to poor digestive function. A lot of pain can be caused from infant acid reflux, and your baby may continuously show signs of irritability and develop poorly (mainly because of poor feeding).

If you are panicking as to why your baby keeps spitting up or unable to feed a lot of the time, you’re not alone. Many new parents actually experience this during the first few months of caring for their child. Now that you’re more familiar with acid reflux in infant, observe if your baby is experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned earlier and have him or her diagnosed by a doctor.

Ancient traditions of baby wearing are catching on like gangbusters. Parents are learning that the age old tradition of providing the safety and security a baby needs by being held doesn’t need to interrupt their day or become an inconvenience. In fact baby wearing provides both parents and baby everything they need to develop a strong and secure bond.

A Practical Definition of Baby Wearing

So what exactly is baby wearing? It is exactly what it sounds like – placing your baby in a sling or a carrier and wearing them. The concept of baby wearing is part of the attachment parenting philosophy which believes a strong emotional bond with parents during childhood means better relationships with others in adulthood.

Benefits of Baby Wearing

Babies who are worn cry less. Babies like to be held we know this to be true in our hearts, and its been proven. In 1986, a team of pediatricians in Montreal reported on a study of ninety-nine mother-infant pairs. The study concluded that babies that are worn cry 43% less than non-worn babies.

The world is an open book. Babies who are worn learn more about the world at a younger age. When they feel safe and secure being held close to their parents, they feel more at ease pay attention to the world around them.

Multi-tasking. Baby wearing is the single best way to keep your baby safe and secure in your arms while at the same time being able to take care of all those daily tasks which require both hands.

Safe sleeping position and less risk of misshapen heads. Wearing your baby provides them a safe sleeping position, much like the pediatric association recommended position, which helps prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. However unlike sleeping on their back, the recommended position, sleeping in a baby carrier doesn’t put pressure on the back of their soft heads. The result is a baby who is much less likely to develop that telltale flat spot on the back of their head.

Less risk of postpartum depression. It’s no secret that as hormone levels adjust after the birth of a baby, postpartum depression can be the result. However scientists theorize that a strong bond with a newborn baby, fostered by close contact, can increase the mother’s progesterone levels. As progesterone levels increase, the bond also increases, and postpartum depression can be averted or the effects minimized.

No more awkward breastfeeding in public. Baby carriers and slings make breastfeeding in public a private and quite secure experience. Rather than dealing with the uncomfortable glances from passersby, people won’t even know you’re feeding your baby.

Not all baby wearers are created equal. Make sure the baby carrier or sling you invest in is a safe one which allows for proper support and positioning. Used correctly a baby wearer provides busy parents the ability to both bond with their baby as well as get things done and babies grow up feeling safe and secure.

About the Author:

Get into baby wearing in comfort and style. Kate Marie Wilber is the owner of Barefoot Bella Childrens Boutique, your premium source for baby carriers, slings, girls & boys clothing, accessories, furniture and more. Visit www.BarefootBella.net for the perfect baby sling for you.

A scrapbook album of your baby’s first year is one of the most special albums you’ll ever complete. There are so many magical memories, beginning with the pregnancy itself and continuing right through your baby’s first birthday. Below are a number of scrapbook page ideas to help you capture those precious moments.

Title Page

A great way to start the album is by matting a 5′x7′ or 8′x10′ of your baby’s hospital photo on the first page. Then add the baby’s name and birthdate as the title and subtitle respectively. This makes a very simple yet very beautiful page.

Baby on the Way

How did you celebrate the news that your baby was on the way? Maybe it was a quiet dinner just for you and your husband or a gathering with family and friends. Either way, remember to include some pictures of the celebration. Capture peoples’ reactions to the annoucement in photos. In addition, you may even want to take a picture of the pregnancy test showing the positive results.

The Ultrasound

If you had multiple ultrasounds during your pregnancy, include pictures from different points in time so you can see how your baby was growing. You may also want to include one that shows the graph of the heartbeat. In addition to journaling about the ultrasound pictures, this is a great place to journal about any nicknames you may have had for your baby before it was born.

The Belly

Starting at three months, when the pregnancy ‘bulge’ is just barely noticeable, have someone take a monthly side-view picture of you. Pose in front of the same background each time so that the pictures are consistent. Try to fit all of the photos on one page (or a two-page spread), so you can really appreciate the month-by-month progression.

The Nursery

Include photos of the nursery all ready and waiting for baby; take pictures from different angles to show everything in the room. Be sure to include pictures of anything that has special meaning such as a bassinet that has been in the family for multiple generations, a special blanket made by Grandma, etc. Also, if you have one, include a photo to show what the room was before it became a nursery.

Welcome Baby

Those first pictures taken of your baby after the birth are some of the most precious ones you’ll ever have. Rememer to include your baby being weighed, having his/her footprints done, being examined, getting a bath, etc. You can put memorabilia such as the footprint card, bassinet name tag and baby id bracelet on these pages. Include key information/statistics in your journaling – baby’s full name, date, day, time, weight, length, details about your labor, name of the doctor/midwife, etc.

Mom, Dad and Baby

It’s wonderful to have a page with pictures of just the three of you – Mom, Dad and Baby – and then include siblings, grandparents, etc. on other pages. Journal about how you felt upon meeting your baby for the first time, whether your baby resembled anyone in the family, how your baby reacted to hearing your voice, etc.

The Rest of the Clan

Once you have a page or two of Mom, Dad and Baby photos, it’s time to include the siblings if your baby has any. Capture how excited they are to meet their new baby brother/sister and how proud they are to be big brothers/big sisters. This is also a great page to put any little cards, drawings, etc. that siblings may have made to welcome your new baby.

Visitors at the Hospital

Your new baby is sure to have many visitors at the hospital such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and more. Include a picture of each one holding the baby and write an interesting fact and/or anecdote about each person in your journaling. Also, you may want to include pictures of the doctor/midwife who delivered your baby, the labor nurse and/or the doula.

Going Home

Going home from the hospital is a big event! On this page you can include pictures of leaving the hospital, a photo of the outside of the hospital, and the birth announcement. Journal about who took you and the baby home, what the weather was like for your baby’s first time ever outside, what he/she was wearing for a “going home” outfit, and what he/she did during the car ride home.

The New Family

It’s nice to have a couple of pages showing the new family settling in at home over those first few days. Be sure to include a picture of everyone (Mom, Dad, siblings) with the new baby, plus a picture of the whole family. Put some of the flowers and balloons received as gifts in the background of the pictures to add a special touch. This is a great place to journal about how the family dynamic changes when the new little one joins the clan.

Visitors at Home

In addition to having photos of the visitors that came to meet your baby at the hospital, you’ll also want to have pictures of the visitors at your home. Again, include a picture of each one holding the baby and write an interesting fact and/or anecdote about each person in your journaling.

Siblings

If your baby has siblings, you can make a separate page for each sibling with lots of photos of the big brother/big sister with the new baby. Depending on how old the sibling is, he/she may be able to help you create the album page by arranging photos, picking out embellishments and providing input for the journaling (e.g., what is the best thing about being a big brother/big sister).

Heritage

If your baby is lucky enough to meet his/her great-grandparents, have a page or two with pictures of them holding the baby. Ask the great-grandparents to share some of their most cherished childhood memories so you can include them in your journaling. When your baby is older, he/she can read their stories to get a glimpse of childhoods long ago.

For additional ideas, please read part two of this article entitled “Scrapbook Ideas for Your Baby Album – Part 2″ at http://www.scrapbooktown.com/library-article4.html. If you need a baby album and supplies, visit Scrapbook Town’s online store at http://stores.scrapbooktown.com/storefront.bok.

About The Author

Lisa Fleming is an avid scrapbooker and the owner of Scrapbook Town, LLC. Scrapbook Town is a scrapbooking website that has scrapbook supplies, ideas and information. You can visit Scrapbook Town at www.scrapbooktown.com.

This article was posted on January 16, 2006

1. Check your diet (for breastfeeding moms): cut out spicy foods, chocolate, garlic, onions, and dairy. If that does not work, cut out gas producing veggies, beans, and wheat. You will figure out what the problem is with trial and error, but if you find the culprit, you will be a much happier mama with a much more content baby.

2. Infant massage: Infant massage has many benefits, including stimulating the digestive system to help with discomforts. I am a certified newborn massage instructor and would be happy to help you with learning this wonderful and very useful skill.

3. Catnip & fennel tea or tincture: give to Mom first before giving directly to baby if breastfeeding.

4. Chamomile and/or mild peppermint tea from a dropper (NO honey or sugar).

5. Highlands brand gas tablets: these are homeopathic tablets and work great for many moms.

6. A chiropractic adjustment: Does wonders with gas/colic for many babies. 

7. Children’s Acidophilus: giving 1/2 of the recommended children’s dose may work very well when there is an upset stomach with the gas. *Note – this is not considered a “natural” remedy and should be considered only after other options have been tried. Also, a doctor should always be consulted when you are unsure of the dosage, it is very important not to give too much.

by Brenda Minica, CD (CBI)

Brenda is a certified doula and homeschooling mom of 6 children living near San Antonio, TX

http://www.doulasanantonio.com

Have you ever been overnight at a hotel with your child and the hotel sets up a run down old crib for your baby to sleep in? Or how about when your child is having an overnight at grandma and grandpa’s home – is there a safe and comfortable place for your son or daughter to sleep? Have you thought about purchasing a travel bed for your toddler?

Safety and comfort is number 1 at all times when it comes to your child – and even more so when travelling with you son or daughter. Have you ever had that one night when your child cries all night – and you just know it is a result of them sleeping in an uncomfortable bed? How about getting to a hotel room and you see the crib they have set up for your son or daughter – and there is absolutely no way that you will be placing them in there to sleep – not clean – not safe – and so on. You may be ready for a toddler travel bed. There are many good quality beds to choose from – but how do you decide on the one that is the best option for your family. Read our 7 tips to help clarify your decision.

1. The lighter the better. All things considered – the lighter the bed the better. The bed you choose should be under 6 pounds (in metric that’s under 3 kg.). Travelling with a baby means that you have other gear as well – diaper bag, stroller, etc. Everything you buy – including your toddler travel bed should be ultra lightweight.

2. Easy to carry and load into your car. The bed you select should have its own travel case and when packed away it should be no larger than 24x8x8(in.) or 60x20x20(cm.). No matter where your travels with your child take you – on a plane on a cruise ship or to grandpa’s house you have to carry all the gear and it all has to fit into tight spaces – like your car trunk or as checked baggage on a plane. A small, compact bed will help with this.

3. Easy to set up – the last thing you want is when you get to your destination is having to fumble in setting up the bed for your child. It should be a simple process to set up and a simple process to fold it back up again when you are finished. Set up time and fold up time should take less than 1 minute, and it should be able to be done by one person.

4. Simple and quick access to your toddler. If your child needs you in the middle of the night you want to be able to easily reach into the bed to pick them up or to pat their back. The bed you decide on should have a way for you to quickly get to your child – usually with a side panel that can be lowered by a quick zip of a zipper.

5. Good air ventilation – a good bed will provide for good air flow for your child. Look for one that has mesh side panels that will allow for good air flow helping to keep your child comfortable.

6. Light and comfortable mattress. The mattress in a toddler travel bed can sometimes be heavier than the bed frame itself. Look for a travel bed that comes with a foam mattress – it will be both comfortable for your child and lightweight to carry.

7. Buy with confidence. Check to make sure that the retailer that you purchase from has a no problem return policy – you want to make sure that the bed can be returned (with no problems from the retailer) if it just isn’t right for your family. And if the bed that you purchase is a high quality one, the manufacturer should provide a life time guarantee which will protect you years from now in case there is a problem.

There are lots of essential pieces of baby gear that make life better and easier for families. We consider a toddler travel bed to be essential to our family – and maybe you feel the same way for your family. When the time is right for you to look for a bed for your toddler child use these tips to help to make the right decision for you.