And when it comes to academic abilities, most children, even those who are very bright or high-achieving, have a definite set of strengths and weaknesses. We all do. Think of your own school experiences. Were there classes or subjects that were easier for you – where you felt most comfortable and in your element? How do you learn best? Are you someone who needs to read something to understand it, or do you retain information better when you hear a lecture, or see a picture or a visual presentation? How about your child – does he or she breeze through certain subjects and struggle with others?

Some variation in abilities, including those involved in doing well at school, is normal – a fact that is consistent with many current views on human intelligence. That is, intelligence should be thought of as a group of distinct abilities, rather than a global or general factor that filters down to everything we do. One child may be great at art and reading, but not so great at math or athletics. Another child may be truly creative in the way he views the world or in the way he approaches problem solving, but have a hard time getting his ideas down on paper. In other words, intelligence is not one “thing” that we can point to, and just because you excel in one area doesn’t mean you’ll do as well in others.

For most of us, these differences are no big deal. We get through school and life by working a little harder at the things that don’t come as easily, or we learn to compensate for our weaknesses by using our strengths. If we have a hard time understanding information that we read, we may use pictures or diagrams to help us learn, or we visualize the material in our minds. If our memories are weak, we might learn to take detailed notes, study more often, or develop other strategies to help us recall information. We learn, often unconsciously, to adapt. For some children, however, the differences between their abilities are so great that it is difficult, if not impossible, for them to succeed in school just by working harder or through compensating. These children have a true learning disability – a persistent and obvious block when it comes to learning certain types of material. For some, the problem may involve reading, for others math. Still others may struggle with written or spoken language. These are otherwise capable children who, even though they have had great teachers, help at home, and plenty of opportunity to learn, still don’t seem to “get it.”

What Causes Learning Disabilities?

No one can say for sure, but many experts believe that learning disabilities are the result of a neurologically based difference in the way that the brain processes information. These differences may have to do with the number, arrangement, and efficiency of neurons or neural connections in specific locations of the brain associated with the skills needed for reading, math, or whatever task the child is having problems with.

In some cases, there may be an identifiable cause for such brain-based problems, such as a seizure disorder, birth trauma, or head injury. However, in most cases there is no obvious explanation. It may be that the neurological irregularity was caused by some undetected event during pregnancy, child birth, or infancy, when the rapidly developing brain is particularly susceptible to injury through such things as a lack of sufficient oxygen or the presence of toxins. Alternatively, some learning disabilities may simply be the result of a genetically inherited difference in the way the brain processes information – a “trait” the child was born with. I’ve heard many parents of these children remark, “I was just like that when I was in school.”

What to Look For Some signs that your child may have a learning disability are:

• He appears to be trying his best, but is still struggling in one or more subject areas despite having a skilled teacher and support from you at home.
• He shows a big difference in performance between subject areas – for instance, consistently doing well in reading and writing, but poorly in math.
• There are obvious signs of problems with cognitive skills like attention, memory, understanding or using language, or following directions, and these problems appear to be getting in the way of school success.
• He reverses letters and numbers much more often than others his age, or has a hard time recognizing words that he has seen repeatedly.
• He forgets what he has learned from one day to the next.
• His teachers are concerned about his lack of progress in comparison to other children of the same age or grade, or feel that he is working below his ability.

What You Can Do

If your child is struggling in school and shows one or more of these signs, it’s time to call an individual meeting with the teacher to discuss your concerns. Often, parents and teachers can find solutions together, without having to look any further. A modification of homework assignments, extra tutoring, or a change in ability groups within the classroom are some common solutions.

If you’ve already tried accommodations suggested by your child’s teacher without success, go to the next step and ask for a student study team (SST) meeting (sometimes called a student intervention team (SIT) meeting, a grade level intervention team (GLIT) meeting, a brainstorming meeting, or some similar term). Schools typically hold these meetings when interventions at the classroom level are not working and there is a need to get other opinions about how to best support a child.

The student study team is often made up of the child’s general education teacher, other experienced teachers at the school, the principal, and sometimes a special education teacher or school psychologist. The team will listen to your concerns, discuss your child’s strengths and weaknesses, and come up with recommendations that can be put into action by the general education teacher. These recommendations might include additional services during or after school, a change in the way your child is grouped for instruction, or enrollment in a structured remedial program designed to help your child catch up on the skills he or she is missing.

The kinds of remedial programs available to general education students vary from district to district, and often from school to school. Some schools have a general education learning specialist or special programs and materials available for students who need extra support. And some allow general education students to receive informal or “school based” support from special education teachers on campus. In these programs, general education students who need extra help are grouped with formally identified special education students for instruction in the areas where the support is needed. The instruction may take place in the general education classroom, or children may be pulled out once or more a week for instruction in a special “resource” room. If your child is still not succeeding despite the best efforts of the teacher and the school team, and you or your child’s teacher still believe that a learning disability may be present, consider requesting testing for formal special education services.

By law, schools have a certain number of days after receiving a parent’s written request for testing to respond assessment plan, outlining what types of tests will be used. The type of tests chosen will likely be determined by a review of your child’s records, observation, teacher comments, and information you provide.

If your child is being tested, be sure to let the school psychologist know what you think the underlying problem might be. For example, if your child is showing signs of a memory problem or a short attention span, speak up now. The psychologist may only test in areas where a deficit is suspected, and your insight will help identify where that problem may lie. Once the assessment plan is signed and received by the school district, the assessment team (which usually includes a school psychologist, a special education teacher, and sometimes other specialists depending on the child’s needs) has a limited amount of time – typically about two months – to complete the testing and hold a meeting with the parent to go over the results and determine whether the child qualifies for special education services.

Side Bar Material: “Is my child “dyslexic?” This is a common question heard by teachers and school psychologists. Dyslexia is an often-used term that many parents associate with a reading disorder caused by a visual perceptual problem in which a child reverses letters and words. For many educators, however, the term dyslexia has come to simply mean a learning disability in the area of reading. In the same way, dysgraphia means a learning disability in the area of writing, and dyscalculia means a learning disability in the area of math. Such learning disabilities may be caused by a visual perceptual problem, but they may also be caused by deficits in other areas such as attention or memory skills.

Side Bar Material: Special education law is often complex, and there is some variation in the way states and individual districts run their programs. Special education terminology and acronyms can also vary from district to district. If your child is being tested, you should be given a copy of the current special education laws and parent rights pertaining to your state in language that you can understand. Look this information over carefully and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Your most basic right is that you have input into any decision that is made regarding your child’s education. You are considered an important member of the school team, not just an observer. The assessment team needs your input in order to do a thorough evaluation and be a better advocate for your child. For a more complete review of special education law and services in your state, go to your State Department of Education web site and follow the links to the area dealing with special education – or do a web search using the search terms “special education law” and the name of your state.

Source:www.brainy-child.com

But how do schools go about identifying who to test and who needs gifted program services in order to flourish? Not all bright children are gifted, and not all gifted children are so different from their peers that they need special support. For this reason, nearly all districts have developed a systematic way to screen students for such programs.

There is no federal law that mandates how school districts identify gifted children, and there is no universal agreement as to what constitutes intelligence or “giftedness.” Still, many districts use an individually administered IQ test as at least part of their screening process – and those that do often use the IQ score as the primary condition of placement. However flawed or controversial these tests may be, they are arguably the best tool we have to find kids who learn differently.

IQ tests measure such things as problem solving skills, memory, and the ability to understand and use language – some of the same skills that are used in the classroom. It follows, then, that those who score unusually well on these tests will likely be unusual learners who need a program that is different than that provided in the most classrooms.

But which kids should the schools test? One obstacle involves trying to distinguish bright, high-achieving students who may be best served in a traditional classroom from those who have such advanced abilities, and learn so differently, that they need a different kind of school experience to succeed.

This distinction would be easy if all gifted children acted the same. But, of course, they don’t. In fact, they are often more different from one another than they are from many of their average-ability peers.

• Some are highly excitable and outgoing, while others are quiet and introspective
• Some excel academically, while others are underachievers
• Some appear extremely focused in the classroom, while others appear highly inattentive
• Some are model students, never getting into any trouble at school, while others always seem to test the rules

Using a limited approach to identification, such as teacher recommendation or a review of grades or achievement test scores, just won’t work. High-achieving children may be identified this way, but not the intellectually gifted. For this reason, most districts use a multifaceted approach to identification, basing the selection of children on a variety of screening methods. Each district will have a specific person or team who determines what criteria to use. Some may rate children on a point scale in several areas, including how they score on an individual IQ test, and then offer gifted program services to those receiving a certain number of points. Others use multiple screening methods largely to select children for an individual IQ test and then use the score on that test as the final criterion on which selection is made.

Here are some selection criteria that many districts commonly use when selecting for gifted programs.

Rating Scales: The rater will be asked to compare the child to a list of characteristics that are typically associated with gifted students.

Formal Observation: Once a child has been nominated by a teacher or a parent, someone from the school or district may do a formal observation in the classroom as a way to gather further information and get an objective second opinion regarding the recommendation

Input From Past Teachers: Previous teachers may be interviewed or asked to complete a rating scale, to get their perspective on the child’s learning needs

A Review of Past Grades or Test Scores: The child’s current and past grades, scores on state achievement tests, and any other class or school-wide achievement testing will be reviewed. The district may require that a student’s grades and test scores meet a certain standard for the screening process to continue.

Parent Interest: At some point in the screening process a district representative will ask parents if they are interested in having their child participate in the program.

Student Interest and Attitudes: A child who is being considered for a gifted program may be interviewed or asked to complete an interest survey.

Placement Trials: Students may be placed on a trial basis in a classroom or group where the teacher uses the same type of learning strategies that are used by the school’s gifted program teachers.

Portfolio Review: Part of the process of screening for a gifted education program may include a review of the student’s work samples collected over time in such portfolios. The student’s work may be evaluated against the work of others for such characteristics as quality, depth, effort, and ability.

Group IQ Tests: Districts will often screen large groups of children – sometimes entire grades – with a group IQ test at a predetermined time each year. For example, every October all second graders in a district will be administered a group IQ test by their teachers. Many gifted kids don’t shine in school – their abilities may be masked by boredom, frustration, disorganization, or other common traits of giftedness. Group tests are often used as an objective way to identify children for further screening who may have been overlooked.

Group test scores are not considered to be as reliable as individually administered IQ test scores. For this reason, a child’s performance on a group test is usually not the main factor on which a gifted program placement is made. More likely, a child’s score on these tests will be used in conjunction with other criteria when determining eligibility. Or the group test score will be used to determine whether a child is a good candidate to be tested with an individually administered IQ test.

Your Child and the Screening Process

Using the strategies outlined in this chapter, schools should be able to identify most students who would benefit from a gifted education placement, so you may not need to do anything to ensure that your child is being fairly evaluated by “the system.”

Yet, there may be times when you feel that the school is missing something about your child, and you’d like to be sure that he or she is being given the same consideration and opportunities as others.

Maybe you’ve heard from other parents that their children are being screened for the district’s program, and you’re thinking, “What about my kid? I know she’s just as smart!” Or you find out that your child was being considered but did not “make the cut” for some reason. While you don’t want to be perceived as overly protective or pushy, you also want to make sure that those making the decisions have all the information they need to truly understand your child.

Some gifted children are not identified because their potential is masked by personality traits – such as shyness, low frustration tolerance, or an overly easy-going nature. Giftedness may also be hidden by a child’s social and language background, or by a specific learning disability (yes, kids can be both gifted and learning disabled – these are sometimes called twice exceptional or “2E” kids). If you believe this is true in your child’s case, you may want to talk with the teacher and share your thoughts.

Parents and teachers are a child’s most important allies and they need to keep each other informed and up to date. Each sees the child from a different perspective and each has a particular insight into a child’s learning needs.

As a parent, you’ve watched your child’s development since birth. You’ve seen him at home, at play, with friends, and with family. You’re in a good position to truly understand his specific interests, temperament, unique gifts, strengths, and limitations.

The teacher, on the other hand, has had an opportunity to evaluate your child’s learning style, academic skills, and social and cognitive development in comparison to a large number of other children of the same age. It doesn’t take long for most experienced teachers to develop an intuitive sense of their students’ strengths and needs – to evaluate how quickly they learn, the type of instruction they respond to best, and their attitudes toward school. The teacher may also help you to better understand the district’s gifted education program and how it is different than what your child is already receiving.

Together, you should be able to get a more complete, objective view than either of you had on your own. Maybe you’ll come to realize that your child would be better off in a general education program since his learning style would not mesh with the type of curriculum being used in the district’s gifted program. On the other hand, the teacher may consider taking a second look at your child in light of the extra information you have given her.

Most importantly, stay focused on working together as a team to come up with ideas and solutions that will work for your child.

Source:www.brainy-child.com

Causes of abdominal pain in babies:

• Stomach flu
• Constipation
• Gas from milk intolerance or overfeeding
• Urinary tract infections
• Injuries to the abdomen
• Inguinal hernia
• Malrotation
• Pyloric stenosis
• Appendicitis
• Menstrual cramps
• Food poisoning

Signs and symptoms:

It can appear from few minutes to days. Vomiting, nausea or diarrhea can be occurred in case of the disease associated by stomach flu. When it is caused by worry and stress, children may experience severe pain in the stomach. If it is caused by kidney infection or a bladder, patient may feel pain during urination. Other symptoms include flatulence, loose stools and bloating.

Diagnosis:

It is very difficult to diagnose the abdominal pain in babies due to they may unable explain the pain. Therefore, history of the baby’s symptoms will be asked by the doctor. Health care provider will also ask about history of vomiting, constipation, growth failure, fever, rashes, rectal bleeding or diarrhea. Rectal and stool examination will be recommended by the doctor to determine the disease. In some cases, a blood test will be preferred by the doctor.

Sometimes, doctor may examine baby’s spleen or liver for tenderness and size. If the disease is caused by carbohydrate malabsorption, a breath test will be performed. Colonoscopy, X-rays of the abdomen, barium enema, ultrasound of the abdomen and urine tests are also recommended by the doctor.

Treatment:

Types of treatment depend on the causes of disease. In almost cases of abdominal pain in babies, a diet of clear fluids will be prescribed by the doctor to treat the disease. Do not use medications like enemas, laxatives to reduce the pain unless health care provider has preferred these medications. Psychotherapy, relaxation and exercises may helpful to reduce the abdominal pain.

If baby is constipated, parents should motivate to their child to sit on the toilet, to pass a bowel movement. Surgery will be used by the doctor to remove the appendix in case of disease caused by appendicitis.

Peppermint is also very effective for relieving the abdominal pain. Medications such as Panadol, Babies’s Silapap, aspirin, Tylenol or Liquiprin can be used to reduce the symptoms of the disease. Various dehydration liquids such as Pedialyte or juices are recommended by the doctor. Parents should not offer caffeine to their child.

When to seek medical advice?

Consult the health care providers as soon as possible, if:

• Severe pain in stomach
• Severe or moderate dehydration
• Blood in stool
• Injuries to the area around the stomach
• Pain during urination
• Blood in the urine
• Mucus or blood in diarrhea
• Signs of dehydration such as decreased urination, dry mouth or lethargy

Source:tenderbabycare.com

Who can adopt a baby?

• Single or married, already parenting or childless can adopt a baby.
• If adoptive parents have a disability, they would have disqualified adopting a child.
• History of marital or divorce does not automatically eliminate you as a candidate.
• Nowadays, babies with single applicants are placing by numbers of agencies.

How to adopt a baby?

There are various methods to adopt a child. Parents or single can be adopted a child through private agencies, public agencies, adoption attorneys or facilitators.

Types of adoption:

Agency adoptions

Somebody can adopt a child through licensed private agencies and the local public agency. Local public agency is also called by child welfare, foster care and social services. In this method, birth parents and adoptive parents may meet to know each other. The procedure of adoption in this method takes about 6 months.

Parents can adopt a child through licensed adoption agency. This agency is responsible legally for the baby until the adoption procedure is complete. Agency will be given all the rights and documents to parents after the completed the adoption process.

Independent adoptions

An independent adoption is also known as private or open adoption. This is adoption without any agency. The adoptive parents and birth parents can meet to know each other and decided to have contact with the baby after adoption. According to law, adoptive parents must be about ten years older than the adopted child.

Facilitators

Parents or someone can adopt a baby through facilitators. This procedure is completed without involving any agency. This facilitator is also called by private placements. In this method, advertisements are used by radio, newspapers, billboards, internet, print flyers and television.

International adoption – in this way, adoptive parents and the birth parents live in separate countries. But in interstate adoption, both types of parents can live in same or different countries.

Despite all the anticipatory parenting done before conception and during pregnancy, despite weeks of feeling movement within and fantasizing about your baby, despite months of having strange dreams, worrisome thoughts, and musings about what kind of parent you will be, the first time you hold your baby in your arms and call yourself mother or father, mama or papa, mommy or daddy, an awareness floods over you that life will never be the same again. Another human being is now dependent upon you for survival. More than anything else, you want to be the best parent possible.

Your awareness of your baby’s dependency and your desire to be a good parent will together be a great source of energy and a great source of stress. Both are part of being a parent.

Becoming a good parent means much more than knowing a lot about babies. Ask pediatric doctors or nurses what it was like for them to be new parents. They will tell you that all their knowledge about babies was not enough to keep them from being over whelmed by their own babies. All new parents feel the same way. All new parents work at knowing, understanding, and loving their babies. Your baby will work just as hard at learning to know, understand, and love you. This is the process of attachment-the work that parents and babies do together to form a deep and lasting love. It is what becoming a family is all about.

This book is written to give you some help as you make the transition from pregnancy to parenting. It offers ideas on things you can do to make this time of change easier. It is written as much to encourage as to teach you. Besides providing the information you need about taking care of yourself and your baby, it can help build your confidence in your own wisdom about your family’s needs. You will find the postpartum period easier if you know what to expect during this time, if you actively participate in health-care decisions, and if you build a network of support that nurtures your growing family.

New families in the United States face some challenges that families in most other countries do not. In the United States, where nearly 99 percent of women give birth in hospitals, the average hospital stay after childbirth is two days for a woman who has given birth vaginally, three to four days for a woman who has given birth by cesarean. In many communities, new families are discharged from the hospital within twenty-four hours of birth. Such early discharge will probably become the norm by the year 2000.

In most other countries, both industrialized and developing, the postpartum period is seen as being at least as important as the prenatal period. Because of this, women giving birth in hospitals have longer stays. More importantly, services are brought to the homes of new families. No matter how long the stay in a hospital or birth center, the family’s transition to home-and to sole responsibility for the newborn-is overwhelming. in many countries all new families are visited at home by midwives, nurses, or other trained personnel who teach parenting skills, assess the mother’s and baby’s health, and provide moral support (and sometimes, as in the Netherlands, government-paid helpers do the housekeeping!). In the United States, such services are now provided to only a small minority of women.

Other Changes You May Notice.

The day after birth, you may ache all over from the work you did in labor. Your arms and legs may be sore from pulling back on your legs while pushing out the baby.

Although achy legs are normal, tenderness, pain, or warmth in your calves and swollen or reddened veins are warning signs that you should report to your doctor or midwife immediately. These signs could indicate thrombophlehitis, an inflammation of a vein that can result in formation of a blood clot. Postpartum women are at slightly increased risk of this because the vein walls normally relax somewhat in pregnancy. To reduce the risk of thrombophlebitis, increase circulation in your legs by doing foot rotations (see page 2 1) and by getting up and walking soon after birth. Thrombophlebitis is treated with bed rest, elevation of the affected leg, hot packs, and the use of elastic stockings. Medications may also be needed to prevent infection and clot formation. The affected leg should not be massaged.

Joints that relaxed in pregnancy to allow for the baby’s growth and birth will return to their pre-pregnancy condition within several weeks of birth. Many women, however, feel that the rib cage and pelvis remain slightly expanded for the rest of their lives.

Abdominal muscles are relaxed after birth, so the abdomen is soft and still rounded. All women have some degree of separation of the abdominal muscles, which lessens with exercise.

Any stretch marks you have will seem more obvious after birth than before. Although stretch marks never completely disappear, they fade to silvery white lines in the months after childbirth. Darkened areas of the skin, such as the areola and the linea nigra, a dark line from the belly button to pubic bone, may tighten but may not completely fade.

Many women note changes in their hair after birth-most commonly, profuse hair loss. This is because pregnancy hormones stimulate hair growth. With the drop in these hormones, the extra hair that grew in pregnancy will fall out. This begins around three months after birth and usually ends within a couple of months.

Perhaps the most common feeling of new mothers after childbirth is that of being bone-tired. This seems especially true of women who have just had their first babies. Often, fatigue is combined with such excitement in the first days that sleep is difficult. The usual aches and pains of the early postpartum period can make it even harder to sleep. But beyond the first few days after birth, most women find daily naps are essential to their well-being.

Caring for Yourself after a Cesarean.

Each woman recovers in her own unique way after cesarean birth, just as after vaginal birth. Pain medications can help during the first few days (the medications given are considered safe during breastfeeding). The nurses will assist you in getting up the first time, learning to cough or huff to keep your chest clear, dealing with the gas that can follow surgery, and learning to hold your baby in ways that are comfortable for you. If assistance is not available when you need it, press your call button and ask for help.

All new parents can benefit from assistance at home after childbirth, but for a woman who has had a cesarean birth such help is essential for at least the first week. Not only are you undergoing a transformation to a nonpregnant state and learning to care for your new baby, you are recovering from major surgery. Adequate help, allowing you to rest often during the day, can make a great difference in how quickly you feel strong and well. Taking care of yourself and your baby should be your only duties until you feel ready to take on more.

These activity restrictions are usually recommended:

Limit stair climbing as much as possible.

Don’t lift anything heavier than your baby for the first two weeks.

Ask your mate or a friend to do laundry, vacuuming, and other tasks that require bending, lifting, or pushing for at least the first few weeks after birth. Then resume such work gradually.

Do not drive a car for the first two weeks.

Take showers instead of tub baths until the incision is completely healed and dry.

Ask your doctor or midwife for specific instructions on the care of your incision.

Accepting Your Initial Responses to Your Baby.

Like her labor, a woman’s initial response to her baby is something she remembers for a lifetime. Women greet their babies in as many ways as there are mothers. Before they give birth, most women anticipate a rush of loving feelings, or even tears of joy. others anticipate instantly “feeling like a mother.” Some women actually experience these things. Many do not.

Sometimes, a woman experiences a temporary holding back from the baby whose birth caused pain or emotional trauma. A new mother may have a feeling of distance-which in retrospect may seem like disinterest. Or she may feel a strong need to attend to herself, pain and exhaustion compete with interest in the baby. in retrospect, she may see herself as selfish. Coolness, distance, self-centeredness-none of these fit with any woman’s conception of a “good mother.” Because of this, many women say they feel guilty about their initial responses to their babies.

Many women speak of feeling outside of themselves after labor. It is as though one’s personal boundaries are hazy. Is it any wonder that women feel they are not taking their babies in-”as they should?” They can hardly take themselves in! This is to be expected. Most women say it takes days to come back into themselves. This is the natural rhythm of things. Something amazing is going on. As boundaries are reclarified, they are also redefined. You are now a mother. Your baby is no longer one with you, as in pregnancy. But the new boundaries are extended, to connect you for a lifetime to this other person. This connection is the essential work of the first months of parenting. You may have all the loving feelings you anticipated, but if you do not, give them time to evolve, as you do the work of taking on your new role.

Signs of Illness in a Newborn.

Many parents doubt whether they will recognize if the baby is sick. When you have no experience with babies, being told that a sick baby behaves differently from a well baby is of little comfort. if everything about your baby seems unfamiliar, it is hard to have confidence that you can and will recognize changes that indicate your baby is ill. Besides, healthy babies can cry for a couple of hours each day. Crying does not tell you as much in the first weeks as it will when your baby is older. So how will you know if your baby is sick? Asking yourself these questions may help:

Is there a change in the baby’s behavior? Is the baby crying more than usual? Has the tone of the cry changed? Is the crying at a different time of day than usual? Is the baby more irritable than usual? Is the baby sleeping more or less than usual? Does the baby seem lethargic or listless?

Has the baby’s appetite or digestion changed? Is the baby eating less than usual? Has the baby vomited more than once? If the baby is vomiting, is the vomiting forceful? (This is called projectile vomiting.) Are there signs of constipation? That is, are the stools hard or more solid than usual? Are there signs of diarrhea? That is, are the stools watery, or more runny than usual? Are they more frequent than usual? Is the baby urinating less frequently than usual? Has the color of the urine changed?

Has there been a change in the baby’s breathing? Does the baby seem to have trouble breathing? Does the baby sound congested? Does the baby have a runny or stuffy nose? Is the baby coughing?

How does the baby look? Is the baby’s skin pale or flushed? Is there a rash anywhere on the baby’s body? Do the baby’s eyes look glassy or dull? Is there any discharge from the eyes?

Does the baby have a fever?

Any of these changes could indicate illness. if you notice any of them, or other worrisome changes in Your baby, call your baby’s care- giver. When you call the office, be prepared to describe:

	The signs of illness about which you are concerned.
	How long the signs have been present.
	What you need: to have the caregiver return your call; to speak to the caregiver immediately, if you feel this is an emergency; or to arrange for the baby to be seen as soon as possible.

CRIB SAFETY TIPS if you have a used crib or are considering buying one

Make sure it has no corner posts. older infants can catch clothing on these.

Check that the crib slats are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart. Never put a baby in a crib that has missing slats.

Make sure that the mattress is firm, and that it fits tightly within the crib rails, with no more than a 1-inch space (two fingers width) between the rails and the mattress.

Assure yourself that all guide rods and support brackets are firmly in place and secure, and that no screws are missing.

Check the locks and latches on the crib. They should be smooth, and tight enough to prevent accidental release.

Be certain the paint used on the crib is lead-free. If it isn’t, the old paint should be removed. if you’re pregnant or nursing, have someone else do the stripping, preferably away from your home, or at least outside the house and away from any play or garden area. New paint should be a high-quality, lead-free enamel recommended for children’s furniture. Some babies do chew on their cribs, and ingesting lead can cause brain damage.

If your crib is new, remove and discard all plastic packaging materials, including the thin plastic mattress cover. As with a used crib, check the guide rods, support brackets, locks, and

latches, and make sure no screws are missing. With any crib, new or old

Place the crib out of reach of any cords, electrical sockets, or other hazards.

Keep crib rails up at all times when the baby is unattended.

As soon as your baby can pull himself or herself up, move the mattress to the lowest position. There should be at least 22 inches between the mattress and the top of the rail.

If you plan to use a bassinet or cradle instead of a crib, many of these same safety tips will still apply.

Some Basics about Feeding

Expectant parents know they will have a lot to learn after their babies arrive. They know it will take time to feel confident about diapering, bathing, and soothing a baby. Most have been told that feeding, too, will be a learning experience. It is not until after the birth, however, that the true meaning of this is dear. Parents often say they had not anticipated that the baby, too, would need to learn to feed. Also unanticipated is the profound concern parents have that their babies be adequately nourished.

Even as adults, many people are greeted by their mothers with the questions “Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?” These are questions you will find yourself asking your baby. It is natural for you to feel somewhat anxious when the baby’s answers are not as clear as you might like. Following are some basics about feeding that can guide you as you gain experience.

Postpartum Fathers

Feelings after Birth. Fathers who are present at birth are, more often than mothers, captured by the baby immediately. Whereas women may need minutes, hours, or a few days to feel connected to the baby, fathers often feel the power of this connection at the moment of birth. Unless the mother or baby is in some danger just after birth, the father is likely to find these moments life-changing and exquisite. These feelings are often blended with a sudden awareness of exhaustion.

A father also experiences new feelings about his mate. He may speak of his amazement at her courage, strength, and endurance during labor. He now faces the task of integrating his memory of her in labor with his previous knowledge and feelings about her.

A father may have to work through feelings he experienced while supporting the mother in labor. One of the most common feelings fathers speak about after labor is that of helplessness. Unless he is told, a man may not know how much his presence and emotional support really meant to the laboring woman.

A man may also feel that the labor experience has altered his whole life view. He may have gained a sense of the miraculous and spiritual, of a deeper meaning to life.

Not all fathers, of course, are able to share the birth experience. A lot of fathers who missed their babies’ births worry that not having been there will affect their relationships with their babies. Birth is a special moment in the parent-child relationship, but it is only one moment. The years of child rearing provide many other shared moments that are just as important in the development of a relationship between father and child.

by Linda

Excerpt reprinted with permission from foxcontent.com