The part about the human resource director suggesting this Mother supplement her child with formula rather than continue to have to pump must have been quite an awkward conversation. Yikes!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/16/heather-burgbacher-teache_n_928178.html
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Chinese confinement - Zuo Yuezi
If you haven't heard of the ancient practice of Zuo Yuezi, let me introduce you. I am not of Chinese descent, don't have any relatives of Chinese descent nor have I experienced Zuo Yuezi, although I wish I did, with some modern updates, like showering and being able to brush my teeth.
To condense it into it's simplest form, it requires the new Mom to be confined for 40 days during which she is to avoid all all forms of stress such as crying, shouting and talking for an entire cycle of the moon. During that time, Mom's are fed foods that promote healing of the body and are basically pampered. In ancient times, bathing and brushing teeth were prohibited and staying in bed for the duration of that time was mandatory as well. In modern days, many families have updated their practice of this custom since clean water is no longer an issue in many of the places where this is practiced and women get up and around dependent on their delivery.
In lieu of many families being available to new Moms centers that carry on this tradition have sprung up seemingly under the radar, read The New York Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/nyregion/bringing-an-asian-tradition-for-new-mothers-to-new-york.html?_r=1. The Mother and baby move into the center for that time, where they are cared for, get support for breastfeeding and are surrounded by other new Mother's. Spouses can visit whenever they like. For someone like me who had zero help when my daughter arrived, knowing what I know now, I would have taken advantage of something like this if it had been available to me and if I had truly realized the sheer magnitude of what I was about to take on.
Having said that, I recently met a Mother who just had her second child. Not unlike me, she had zero support when her first child was born. Her family lived far away and were unavailable to help. She experienced a lot of the same feelings and agonies about going it alone for the first time that when she recently had her second child, she didn't question for a second the idea of having a postpartum doula at her home 24/7 for the first several weeks. She said, "I'm not stupid, I know what's in the best interest of my mental health! If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Smart Mom.
To condense it into it's simplest form, it requires the new Mom to be confined for 40 days during which she is to avoid all all forms of stress such as crying, shouting and talking for an entire cycle of the moon. During that time, Mom's are fed foods that promote healing of the body and are basically pampered. In ancient times, bathing and brushing teeth were prohibited and staying in bed for the duration of that time was mandatory as well. In modern days, many families have updated their practice of this custom since clean water is no longer an issue in many of the places where this is practiced and women get up and around dependent on their delivery.
In lieu of many families being available to new Moms centers that carry on this tradition have sprung up seemingly under the radar, read The New York Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/nyregion/bringing-an-asian-tradition-for-new-mothers-to-new-york.html?_r=1. The Mother and baby move into the center for that time, where they are cared for, get support for breastfeeding and are surrounded by other new Mother's. Spouses can visit whenever they like. For someone like me who had zero help when my daughter arrived, knowing what I know now, I would have taken advantage of something like this if it had been available to me and if I had truly realized the sheer magnitude of what I was about to take on.
Having said that, I recently met a Mother who just had her second child. Not unlike me, she had zero support when her first child was born. Her family lived far away and were unavailable to help. She experienced a lot of the same feelings and agonies about going it alone for the first time that when she recently had her second child, she didn't question for a second the idea of having a postpartum doula at her home 24/7 for the first several weeks. She said, "I'm not stupid, I know what's in the best interest of my mental health! If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Smart Mom.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Lyrical Explanations
I've started to really notice the lyrics to some songs on the radio recently. I used to love to learn lyrics to songs, but my attention to such lyrics currently has more to do with the explaining that will accompany them in the near future.
In my trip down memory lane in preparation for my high school reunion, I was listening to Bon Jovi's "Never Say Goodbye" the other day and it occurred to me that in 20 years we've gone from singing things that implied sex like, "you lost more than that in my backseat, baby" to hearing Katy Perry singing, "and we danced on table tops, and we took too many shots, think we kissed but I forgot, last Friday night...we went streaking in the park, skinny dipping in the dark, then had a menage a trois, last Friday night."
20 years ago, I could be in the car with my Mom and we could hear that Bon Jovi song and both pretend he was singing about her losing her keys and maybe her Zinc Pink lipstick. Today, just that little snippet of TGIF presents with a lot of stuff. And, no, my daughter is not a teenager yet, so I am not faced with her singing these songs and wondering if she knows what on earth they're talking about and thankfully, she is not at the stage where she is asking me either. I still have a little time to think about what I'm going to say. But I need to get on that STAT since with songs like Rhianna's "S and M" and New Boyz "Backseat", I have my work cut out for me. I've attached "Backseat" lyrics for your listening and viewing pleasure.
To think Elvis was scandalous when my Mom was a teenager because of his hip gyrations is laughable!
In my trip down memory lane in preparation for my high school reunion, I was listening to Bon Jovi's "Never Say Goodbye" the other day and it occurred to me that in 20 years we've gone from singing things that implied sex like, "you lost more than that in my backseat, baby" to hearing Katy Perry singing, "and we danced on table tops, and we took too many shots, think we kissed but I forgot, last Friday night...we went streaking in the park, skinny dipping in the dark, then had a menage a trois, last Friday night."
20 years ago, I could be in the car with my Mom and we could hear that Bon Jovi song and both pretend he was singing about her losing her keys and maybe her Zinc Pink lipstick. Today, just that little snippet of TGIF presents with a lot of stuff. And, no, my daughter is not a teenager yet, so I am not faced with her singing these songs and wondering if she knows what on earth they're talking about and thankfully, she is not at the stage where she is asking me either. I still have a little time to think about what I'm going to say. But I need to get on that STAT since with songs like Rhianna's "S and M" and New Boyz "Backseat", I have my work cut out for me. I've attached "Backseat" lyrics for your listening and viewing pleasure.
To think Elvis was scandalous when my Mom was a teenager because of his hip gyrations is laughable!
Chicago- Look Away (Music Video)
With my 20 year high school reunion fast approaching, I have been taking a trip down memory lane via youtube.com. I recently came across this video and had to share it. Look at this video! It's nuts! Hope it gives you the belly laughs it gave me. Dig those outfits.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Mom confession survey
Boy, did some of these hit home.
http://moms.today.com/_news/2011/08/09/7318658-whats-your-deepest-darkest-secret-moms-confess-in-our-survey
http://moms.today.com/_news/2011/08/09/7318658-whats-your-deepest-darkest-secret-moms-confess-in-our-survey
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Start Saving!
If you haven't heard yet, for those of you with children who were born in 2010, you can now expect to spend $250,000 on that child by the time they're 17...and that's not including college, extracurricular activities and plain stuff that kids want! Yikes.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/06/10/cost-raising-child-goes-up/
http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/06/10/cost-raising-child-goes-up/
Monday, August 1, 2011
Banning Children - the movement is on
I mentioned this a while back when airlines were considering children free flights. Well now, Malaysia Air says NO to children in first class. And now, a restaurant in Pennsylvania has sent an email to it's loyal customers informing them that children under 6 are no longer welcome at their establishment. Read about it below. What do you think?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/11/restaurant-bans-children_n_894548.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/11/restaurant-bans-children_n_894548.html
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