Breastfeeding

I chose to learn more about breastfeeding because I did not breast feed my son and am just not familiar with the experience.  Breastfeeding enhances the bond between mother and child but takes patience to acquire the skill.  Less than 1/3 of infants in the United States are breastfed and fewer infants are breast fed through the first year of life which is recommended by health care professionals.  There is a significant breakdown of about 50%, in the number of black mothers of any class who choose to breast feed than Caucasian middle class mothers (Galson 2009).  In almost every state, legislation recognizes women’s rights to breastfeed in public. Breast feeding boost the immune system and provides natural antibodies that fight against disease and certain types of cancer, such as breast and ovarian. Breast feeding also reduces cost of buying formulas. It can be difficult to keep up with breastfeeding and providing adequate supply of milk from the mother which is why most women do not continue to breastfeed through the 12 month duration.

In Norway breastfeeding is very common and is known as the role model for breastfeeding.  It is extremely rare for women not to breastfeed at all.  Women are encouraged and taught to breast feed in the hospitals.  They even have an informative help line for mothers needing assistance in breastfeeding. Women in this country usually take at least a year off for maternity leave and fathers are given plenty of time for breaks as well.  It is easier for women to keep up with the task of breast feeding because of the length of time granted for maternity leave.  Women in this country breastfeed in the public and it is not looked down upon or shamed.  In Norway, almost 100% of mother’s breastfeed before discharge from the hospital and more than half continue to breastfeed six months later.  It seems as if Norway as a country has an understanding of the importance of breastfeeding and childcare/development during the early years.

·         Surgeon General’s Perspectives: The Status of Breastfeeding Today (PDF, 1.22 MB)
By Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, Acting US Surgeon General

·         Mothers and Children Benefit from Breastfeeding (PDF, 40 KB)
By Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, Acting US Surgeon General

·         Norway Leads Industrial Nations Back to Breast-Feeding - New York TIMES Oct 21, 2003

Birth In Pakistan

I chose to learn more about pregnant women in Pakistan and understand what there experiences are in giving birth. In traditional Pakistani families, the influence of cultural beliefs and values on birthing is highly visible. Especially in rural areas due to a lack of accessible, affordable, and quality health care services.   Home deliveries are preferred over hospital deliveries.  Because of this probability of mortality among children under five years is 97 per 1000 live births.  The home deliveries are done by Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) or mothers in laws, who themselves are not trained.  As a traditional practice, the baby’s birth the cord is cut with blades or knives, and many times cow dung or ash is applied on the baby’s cord for healing purpose. This practice sets many newborns up for neonatal tetanus and serves as a factor for child mortality. Many families in Pakistan have experienced the anguish of losing a child, but little was being done to deal with the country's high infant mortality rate. Now Organizations are discouraging traditional practices by initiating training programs.  The Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN) was established to address the country's lack of obstetric care.  PAIMAN collaborates with community-based organizations all over the country to renovate and establish clinics, distribute medical supplies, educate the public, and train traditional birth attendants and midwives.  However, in the regions where the community is mistrustful of health care or where health care services are not available, potentially harmful practices for cord handling are still common.

The Birth Of My Son

I have a 3yr old son and the experience of his birth was the most rewarding yet exhausting event of my life.  I counted down the days getting closer to his arrival.  Finally at 1 week over due my Dr. called and said it’s time to induce.  So my husband and I anxiously and nervously checked in to the hospital.  It was 8 am when we checked in and the process was much slower than I thought.  The Dr. broke my water at about 3 pm and from there the contractions grew unbearable.  I did choose to receive an epidural and am so thankful for the medication because it was easy until time to push. After the epidural I rotated positions in the bed until fully dilated.  My mom had arrived at the hospital around 4 or 5 pm but need to leave at 2:30 am for work.  So it was 2 am when I finally was given the ok to push.  I only had 30 min to get him out before my mom had to leave.  I didn’t take any birthing classes but I was so determined to have my baby with my mom in the room.  I focused all my thoughts and energy in to pushing as quickly as possible and it worked.  My son was born at 2:35am, mom was there to see him born, my husband cut the cord, and we had a healthy 9 lb 12 oz baby.  My husband and I stayed awake for hours and hours just holding our son and staring at him.  I know some may not agree with epidurals but I believe I made the right choice for myself and my son.  It was a very stress free labor and delivery although not completely without pain.  I chose not to breast feed because I am a working mother and wanted to be consistent with feeding methods from the beginning, knowing that I would be returning to work in 2 months.  I do not feel that my choices have affected my child’s development in an unfavorable way.  He has met his mile stones thus far and I am pleased with his, social, emotional, and cognitive skills.

Codes of Ethics

From the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of commitment

I-1.1—To be familiar with the knowledge base of early
childhood care and education and to stay informed
through continuing education and training.

This ideal is meaningful to me because I am at the beginning preparation stages of my career in early childhood education.  I understand that it is important for me to learn and familiarize myself with the basis of early childhood education and continue to keep myself informed.  i am excited about continuing to expand and grow in the field.

I-1.9—To advocate for and ensure that all children,
including those with special needs, have access to the
support services needed to be successful.

I believe that most people who know me understand that I believe in equality for persons with disabilities.  Working with disabled adults has made me aware of the injustices that people with disabilities face and also the resources available to support this population as well.  Being that I am now an advocate for people with disabilities I know this will not change as I move toward a career in early childhood education.  Also I have a sister who was diagnosed with a learning disability, so I have seen and understood the barriers and challenges that people with disabilities face from childhood to adult years.

From the DEC Code of Ethics

Professional and Interpersonal Behavior
1. We shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the unique value
and human potential of each child.

I was thinking back to my childhood memories in the educational setting and realizing that there are certain things that my teachers have done or said that have stuck with me through the years.  That is why this guideline/principle has meaning to me.  Realizing that as a teacher myself I will also impact the lives of children, I want to make sure that I respect each individual child and family that I come in contact with

Additional Resources

• Learning about cultural diversity at the preschool level
• Children's Defense Fund
• Seattle's Child Magazine Early Learning: A Top Priority for Washington Despite Economic Woes

Health & Well-Being Sector

"I think we need to start early with pediatricians in their training—even before they get

into medical school—to start giving them a desire to understand children and to understand

what they contribute in the way of biases and past experiences. Then, if they understand

themselves by the time they get to medical school, they’ll begin to want to be a pediatrician

who understands children. And then somewhere along the way I’d like to bring in parents and let

pediatricians begin to care about parents as well as the children. And I’d like to teach

pediatricians about child development and about parent development. I’d like every pediatrician to have an exposure to child development!"

T. Berry Brazelton, M.D.

"I think we have to educate everybody about how important the parent is for a child and

how much the child depends on both the parent and the caregiver. And if we do that, I think the

workplace will become more family-friendly. If we can get workplaces to become more family friendly, they’ll begin to support child care situations right around them. I would like for every business community to have a child care center right there in the workplace so parents can go back and forth and feed their babies when they need to; take care of the baby; when the baby cries, the child care person can come and get the mother or the father to come and support the baby. If we can set this up that way, then we could train child care people to pay attention to parents and how important they are, and to understand their gate keeping (that they’re bound to have) and then begin to support the families and the children. Give them the best opportunities that they as a team can give that child! I think we can do that."

T. Berry Brazelton, M.D.


"I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world, and to fix all of the injustices that existed in the world.  And I wanted to do that through teaching.  It became my life long work, early child hood education, and the passion to make sure all children were taught in environments and ways that truly nurtured their ability to grow and develop to their fullest ability."

Louise Derman-Sparks
Professor Emeritus
Pacific Oak College, CA

Child Care Sector

"My hope is that the early childhood field will begin to recognize and challenge the cultural standards of leadership that silence many of our most creative and dedicated colleagues. We can challenge the internalized low value placed on child care work in the greater society that is reflected in the limited presence of teachers and providers as our acknowledged leaders and spokespeople. By so doing, we can develop a group of leaders who are willing to question the status quo and to take the necessary risks to make working with young children a career that people can afford to pursue and a career that is respected."

Marcy Whitebook Ph.D.

"When I think of the word passion and the meaning to the word passion, what comes to mind are;  what are my values, what are my beliefs.   What are the ideas that lead me to action.  What do I do so naturally, that perhaps seems so natural to me but may be challenging to others.  What's in my heart."

Leticia Lara LCSW
Regional Manager
Outreach and Professional Development