Update: Pencader - Where do we go from here?

Answer:  Pencader Rebuilding Board

Today's News Journal is reporting that as of tonight, Pencader's board will consist of just two members who will meet Monday to seat a new board from a slate of names submitted for the empty seats.  Readers can follow this thread of information with public commentary at www.transparentchristina.wordpress.com.  John Young has been following the Pencader news stories with gusto since the school was required to submit an amended 2012-13 budget to the state due to a
failure to reach required minimum enrollment targets by May 1.

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Ultimate List of Sensory Bin Ideas

Lots of sensory bin/box ideas are floating around in the blogosphere and pop up on Pinterest from time to time.  As an occupational therapist this is one play idea that I use very often, as most OT's do. Have I lost anyone?  Don't know what a sensory bin is?  A sensory bin is a box or bin, usually a Sterilite container that you fill with some kind of texture like dry rice.  Throw in a couple of play toys and voila you have a sensory bin.  Easy peazy! 


Sensory bins are great for kids because they receive loads of tactile stimulation and it encourages imaginative play.  On the other hand they are particularly helpful for children that are tactile defensive (experiencing discomfort when touching various textures). Because these bins usually catch the curiosity of a child, they will often push themselves out of their comfort level to explore.  If you suspect that your child may have a limited diet because they don't like certain textures of food, playing in sensory bins will begin to help desensitize them to various textures and may help them feel more comfortable with the textures they eat.  Also, sensory bins may be a great activity to include in a sensory diet, depending on the child's needs.  So basically, sensory bins are great for just about every kid!  I am sure some of you are cringing at the thought of a bin of dry rice on your living room floor, it can be messy, but your kids are only kids once, so I say go for it!



Some things you want to keep in mind....

• Choking hazards, if your child is still putting everything into their mouth, be mindful of what you are putting into the bin.  See the category for babies below.
• Some textures have a shelf life, you may need to recycle or replenish some textures.
• Never, yes I am saying NEVER, force your kid's hand into a texture.  If they don't like it or are having a hard time touching it, respect that and don't force it.  Don't clean up shop though, encourage imitation (from you), and proceed slowly.  Maybe they need to use a shovel before they can put their hand in and then maybe it is just a finger.  You get the idea.
• Have towels ready for wet textures.  Kids will wipe their hands off on you or the sofa, if you don't.  Also, if your child is tactile defensive, you want to have a towel on hand in case they start to freak out. By the way, letting them know the towel is there in case they need it will help them feel more comfortable touching the texture.  

Dry Textures 

(assume all items are uncooked/raw)

rice

beans

split peas

sand

corn meal

coffee grinds

birdseed

flour

cotton balls

Easter grass

oatmeal

pasta

popcorn kernels

dirt

marbles

leaves

corn husks

grass clippings

craft feathers

pom poms

shredded mylar

packing peanuts

Easter Eggs (last three are great for babies)

scraps of fabric

koosh balls

Wet Textures

ice

water 

snow

Water Beads

shaving cream or Soap Foam

pumpkin guts

cooked pasta

cooked oatmeal

cooked beans/chick peas

bubbles

jello

pudding 

whipped cream

cornstarch and water

Ways to play in a sensory bin:

• First and foremost let your child explore the bin without any input from you, which will allow their creativity to shine. You could set this up when you need a few minutes to wash up dishes or make a phone call.  Of course, you can also sit with them, asking open ended questions.  Click here for a great post from Little Stories on this topic.

• Have cups, scoops, bowls, shovels, serving spoons, dump trucks, and/or ladles in the bin for scooping and dumping.  Scooping, dumping, and filling is a great play skill for toddlers, preschoolers can begin to learn some math concepts, and older kids can actually practice measuring and fractions.  

• Draw or write letters with fingers in the different textures by making a smooth surface out of the texture on the bottom of the bin.  Actually feeling the texture will  reinforce shapes and the way letters are formed in the brain.

• Get creative with themes or learning concepts.  Add artificial or real flowers to coffee (because it looks like  dirt) so they can plant them.  Or, use diggers and dump trucks to haul away the packing peanuts.  

• Play hide and seek with various toys, seeing if your child can find them.  Also, try giving directions to teach concepts like left/right, top/bottom, and shallow/deep. You could say something like, "The alligator is hiding on the left side." Or, " The rock is in the middle, but it is very deep."

• Search with closed eyes.  Lay some different objects shallow in the texture so that your kid can't see.  Have them search with just their hands and try to figure out what the object is without looking at it.  This will help improve their tactile discrimination which will help them master fine-motor skills like handwriting!

• Get those feet in there!  Bury feet and have them explore too, it is such a wonderful sensory experience!  If your child is tactile defensive, feet are usually more sensitive than hands, so take it slow if you need to.

• Throw magnetic letters into the bin and have your kid hunt for them to spell their name or spelling words. 

I come up with new sensory bin ideas all the time, the list is really endless. I will continue to add anything interesting I think up. Please share any other ideas you have!

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Pencader: Where do we go from here?

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The Pencader Board of Directors Must Act NOW!

Deceived. 


http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120624/NEWS03/306240050/The-lies-behind-diploma-mills?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home

This morning's edition of the News Journal greeted readers with an above-the-fold story about diploma mills with the Pencader Charter School Leader front and center.

A year ago, I put my reputation behind Pencader and joined with other Christina constituents to implore DOE give the school a second chance to continue to offer their commendable education to high school students despite the fiscal crisis that enveloped the school.  DOE conceded, Pencader's bricks and mortar filled with hopes and dreams - many of those dreams crushed during a very trying and at times painful 2011-12 school year. After reading this morning's story for a third, fourth, and fifth time, I find myself feeling deeply deceived. 

This morning, I am publicly requesting that the Pencader Board of Directors convene an emergency meeting and remove the school leader.  While Delaware's charter school leaders are not required by code, law, or regulation to hold a Ph.D., purporting to have one is gross misrepresentation and malfeasance.  It is more than a bad example, it is an insult to true educators who have earned their degrees from accredited educational institutions!  The Pencader Board must be accountable to their students, parents, employees, constituents, and tax payers. They cannot permit a school leader to continue to stretch the truth - this is not the example that should be set for our children who continue to struggle to hit a moving target and achieve proficiency.

If the Board of Directors fails to act quickly, I am calling on the Delaware Department of Education as the school's authorizer to intervene immediately. Anything less is simply not acceptable! Dan Cruce, John Carwell, Sec. of Education Murphy - the tax payers need to hear from you!

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Corporate Ed Reformers After Katrina Illegally Fired 7,500 Educators

Schools Matter and apparently employment contracts do, too!  The much touted reform eduction school district, Nola, created in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, finally gets a federal ruling.

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2012/06/corporate-ed-reformers-after-katrina.html

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"Picky" Eater Tip: Expand on What Your Kid is Already Eating

This is the first post, in what I think will be a regular fixture around here.  I know many of you have found your way to my blog because you want your kid's to eat more, so I want to continue to give you specific strategies on a regular basis.  Of course, I always include tips in just about every post I write and will keep doing that, too!  This series is titled "Picky" Eater Tips.  Please take note of the quotations.  I actually hate the label picky eater and generally avoid using it, except on this blog.  Unfortunately, this is a cultural term that everyone understands immediately.  I would love to title the series: Limited Eater Tips or Increase Your Kid's Food Variety... but I don't think I will reach as many people and it would kind of defeat the purpose.  So, "Picky" Eater, it is.  While I am on the subject though (real quick) try to refrain from using this label yourself, especially in front of your kiddo, even if they are only a toddler.  It constantly amazes me how kids (and adults for that matter) let their progress be limited because of someone else's label.  Besides, you also want to create a positive vibe around eating and using this label, when you think about it, is pretty negative.  Okay, I am climbing down off my soap box!  On to the tip...

One of the first things I do when I begin working with a kid that has a limited diet (aka: is picky) is to make a list of everything they actually eat.  I do mean everything, including sweets.  Sometimes this is a very short list, that's ok.  If it is very short, I also write down some of the things they eat sometimes or have at least tried.  You will be surprised how helpful it is to see it all down in front of you.  In some cases, it makes people feel better because you realize your kid is actually eating more than you thought.  In other cases, it can make you feel worse if there are only a few foods on the list.  I don't want to make you feel worse, but in the long run it will help improve the variety of what they are eating.


Once you have your list (make sure you really think about everything), start brainstorming other foods that are similar to the ones on your list.  Then write down the ideas next to the food. For example, let's say raisins are on your list, then dried cranberries would be something I would write down next to it.  Okay, stay with me here, I am going to give lots more examples in a minute.  If your child is a very "picky" eater then you are going to want to keep the foods as similar as possible.  Although, don't let this limit you, it is still good to expose your "picky" eater to a large variety of foods, even if they do refuse them - it is not a waste of time.

I actually have a perfect example for this...

I have been having a lot of difficulty getting my 10 month old to eat, transitioning to food at all has been difficult.  We are focusing on table foods at this point and I haven't quite figured out why he is refusing so many foods.  When I was on the brink of meltdown this week (after another refused meal that I put a lot of effort into) I turned to writing my list and it has really helped.  Here is a pic of the list I made for Isaac.

Notice I don't have ideas for every single food he eats, but I have enough to get me going for a week or two.  If I am still struggling then, I will revisit this and try to come up with some more ideas.


I don't want to mislead you here, and you are probably already thinking, "That's great, but my kid isn't going to eat dried cranberries."  They very well may not, well, at least the first time you try anyways (check out Try and Try 12 Times for more on this).  There is some reason your kid feels comfortable eating pretzels, cheerios, cookies, or whatever it is for your kid.  Changing it up slightly is more likely to go over well than changing it up a lot.  The more familiar the food is to them, the more likely they are to give it a try.  It is important to remember all of the Basic Strategies I have shared, too, and use them in conjunction with this tip.  Especially, making sure you have another preferred food available.  If you are taking raisins away, and changing it to dried cranberries, then they aren't a preferred food until they eat it, so make sure you serve the new food with something that is comfortable.  Also, you don't necessarily have to point out that the food is different, but don't try to trick them either (They aren't really going to expand their variety if they think they are eating something else).  At the same time, you may lose some kids if they bite into something expecting it taste like something else.  Kids can get distrustful fast, especially when it comes to their food.  You will have to use some trial and error and see what is a better approach for your kid. 

The main idea is to give you more ideas for new foods to try.  Once they have started eating some of these foods that are slightly different you can change it slightly again.  For instance, Isaac barely eats yogurt, a staple in our house.  If I can get him eating banana yogurt (because he likes banana so much), I can slowly introduce other combinations like strawberry/banana yogurt and then ultimately just strawberry yogurt.  It's like you are slowly transitioning them into more foods by using the foods they already eat.  Does that make sense?  I know this one is a little complicated, but I wanted to share it because I think it will be very helpful for those of you that are struggling with increasing food variety.

One last thing.  Take a look at your list on the whole.  Does anything stand out?  Sometimes there are patterns that may give you some insight about how your kid is selecting food.  For instance, all the foods may be white or tan in color, mostly crunchy, or very soft.  Take note and use that as your starting point.  If all the foods are tan, try other tan foods you can think of first and then slowly change the color.  Again, I hope I am not losing anyone here.  I am getting into some therapeutic strategies here.  Please, ask questions!  And, let me know how the lists are going!

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Daddy / Daughter Date

A while ago I got genius on encouraging positive behavior.. During jobs.. Actually my focus wasn't on getting jobs done as it was doing so with a good attitude.

Serving others is an important attribute that I will and do focus attention on.

No one likes a selfish person or someone who doesn't help others and helping others with the 'I don't want to do this' kind of attitude. It makes for sloppy work and shows others that they are not worthy of being helped, amongst many other things.

Just think 'bad customer service'..

So I printed off two charts and explained to the children what they were for. As jobs or school work was completed with good/positive/joyful attitudes I wrote on their chart.

When they were filled their reward differed per child.

This sweet time loving, gift preferring child got to go on a date with her Dad to auntys work for coffee and cake. They drank tea.. And she jabbered for a full hour.. Hubby is amazed at how much like me she is.. ;)

She even was allowed to bring home a sugar satchel *gasp* which she thinks is a shaker *giggles*


Earlier that day... I took Miss-Clothing-Love clothes shopping with me, bought her shoes, jumper and new dress. To say she was high on joy that day is an understatement!!

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Tips for Becoming a Birth Activist

What an exciting weekend!  We just finished up our first Birth Boot Camp training workshop and it was AWESOME!  The November workshop is almost full, but we still have plenty of room in the September training.  It's just 3 months away, and there are a lot of certification requirements to be completed before the workshop.  I'd recommend it for people who are already birth professionals or have done a lot of the reading previously. 

I have another big weekend coming up.  June 22-24 is a  Birth Activist Retreat  sponsored by Where's My Midwife?  It is being held at The Farm in Tennessee, which is extra exciting because I'll be breathing the same air as Mr. Tim McGraw who lives less than 2 hours from there!  I am going with a couple of my favorite people from the Tarrant County Birth Network.  Really, getting there is half the fun!

I'm probably writing this post prematurely, as I'm sure at the end of next weekend, we will have come up with some great ideas for birth activism.  I just want to take a minute and talk about a couple of things in regards to this topic.

If I am an OB or a lawmaker, I'm thinking I am not going to listen to the "bra-burners" or picketers.  I need evidence and real stories.  I need to connect with the people who are trying to make change, including midwives and families who want birth options.  I have no interest in listening to (or taking seriously) people who are just loud -- demanding that I change my way of thinking.  I would be more apt to listen to people who are professional and rational.

I posted a question on my BFBS Facebook page asking what YOU do to change the culture of birth in your community.  A lot of answers were along the lines of talking to friends and posting on Facebook.  As you are probably well aware, birth is an emotionally charged topic, like politics or religion.  It's hard to bring it up on a personal level, but sometimes doing something on a bigger scale is less "in your face" to your friends and family.  It also has the potential to have a bigger impact, reaching more people.

I believe there are more and more women having amazing births and they want to change the way other women (and men) view birth.  We are seeing an influx of women wanting to become doulas because of this.  Many of them do a couple of births and realize "This is HARD!"  It is hard to be a doula and also have a young family.  Some people make it work and others aren't able to.  I think at the root of it all, however, is wanting to make a difference.  We all want that.

I know I am always touting starting or joining a Birth Network chapter in your area.  It really is a great way to get involved and make a difference.  You don't have to belong to a birth network however.  Some women have hosted a Red Tent event, encouraging women to listen to and tell birth stories.  This can be as simple or elaborate as you would like.

I know it doesn't sound as glamorous, but writing letters to the lawmakers, hospitals, and OBs in your state is a very important -- and real -- way to let them know what their constituents want. Back up your viewpoint with evidence and your experiences.  Birth is consumer driven.  In the 1980's birthing suites became popular and more "homelike" because women demanded it.  Some women were having their babies at home and the hospitals insisted that they were better than home, some even having full-size beds in many rooms.

Holding screenings (with appropriate permission and applicable fees) of various birth movies is something that has gotten a lot of positive attention for natural birth and is relatively easy to pull off.

Organize groups of women -- professionals and pregnant women --  to discuss various topics.  Sometimes giving people a forum is the most effective way to create change.

It is very rewarding to see women and families know their options and make informed decisions. No matter what you decide to do, think about your target audience and the message you want to send to them.  We should be taken seriously.  To be taken seriously, we need to take ourselves seriously.

Please share what you have done in your community that could be duplicated in other areas.  It's all about sharing ideas -- what works and what doesn't.

Until next week, my fellow birth activists!  Off to The Farm!

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Baby Sign

Bubba signed her first sign today @ 15 months. **Food**

She's been getting frustrated at me in her attempt at communicating so I thought I'd put her out of misery and show her a more effective communication method than the snot faced distortions that was going on.

I raise my fingers to my mouth as if putting food inside and say they word food. She replies foo.. Close enough hey!! But jarah (2yrs) does it to her and she copies him. Done and dusted.

She usually says 'want that' and points but I guess when there's no food in sight it's hard to point and see what she wants.

As her mother I can clearly tell she wants food but it's not the point. The point is an appropriate communication method that can be used with other people, like Auntys or Nanas.

In the past I've had great success in using baby sign language in encouraging both the spoken word and body language to communicate a message with my tiny tots.

You don't need to know it all or use it all, in fact I don't. But I would recommend using it to all frustrated mothers of non-verbal infants in communicating effectively.

Words we use often include food, drink, no. I think we know about 50 words but these 3 are used the most. No is a great word to sign because you can carry on a conversation with someone while telling your child to stop doing what they are doing and no one can tell.. Unless they know the sign for no.

If you want to get started google baby sign language. You will find a variety of sites. Try find a simple one with short videos on how to use the sign for the word.

My only caution.. Is that SOME (not many) revert to sign language only and not talk. My experience with 4 kids has been word explosions and positive use of words. My young sis-in-law has a form of dyspraxia and therefore is included in the stopping use of speech when using sign language.
When using sign language you almost always use words to associate the sign to the spoken word, therefore encouraging the spoken language. As my children have grown a little bit more I've stopped and started as the next child hit that place. I actually sometimes use it to speak long distance to hubby ;) Hee Hee

It's a bit of positive fun..

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Teaching little kids to pour

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Mega List of Table Foods for Your Baby or Toddler

It is time to talk about the first real-deal table foods you should give your baby.  Most of the ideas I am sharing are for babies 10 months and up, but it really depends on how well your baby or toddler is chewing up foods.  You could be introducing these a little earlier or later.  Also, as the parent, you know what's best, go with what makes you comfortable!  If you have questions or concerns about choking and foods that are safe to introduce, then discuss them with your child's pediatrician.  

Clockwise from top: Ripe honeydew melon, whole wheat tortilla, cottage cheese, whole wheat rotini noodles, zucchini bread, shredded cheddar cheese, banana pancakes, and black beans in the middle.

I am going to do this a little backwards and give you food ideas and some meal plans in this post and then follow-up soon in a second post on exactly how to begin making this transition (update: click here and here for those follow up posts).  To be honest, I wanted to have a resource for myself, since Isaac (10 months old) is right in the middle of this transition and I am struggling to make sure he has enough variety.  I do have to admit that Isaac isn't (hmm, need to choose my words carefully here,) the best eater.  He chews and manages food very well, but unless it's not extremely palatable to him he isn't very interested.  Of course, this is very frustrating!  To make sure I optimize my chances at success (aka: he actually eats something other than Gerber Puffs or Cheerios), I need a go to list with all of my ideas (plus some new ones) so I am not scrambling in the craziness of meal prep.  I will be going into more details on troubleshooting in the follow-up post, as well. Anyways, I am hoping some of you can benefit from this list, too!



I am organizing the list into three categories: fruits/vegetables, starches/carbs, and proteins. When putting together meals, plan for at least one food in each of these three groups.  Also, keep in mind that if you mash up a casserole or lasagna all three categories may be covered in one shot.  For example with the lasagna: spaghetti sauce= protein, noodles= carbs, and meat or cheese= protein.  

Important Tips

• Make sure everything you give your baby for the first time is closely monitored.  Chew a small piece in your mouth first and pay attention to how hard it is to chew.  If it doesn't break down easily and quickly, it probably isn't a good choice.
• Stay calm if your baby coughs or chokes a little, it will happen. If you freak out they will freak out. If they are coughing or choking on a food frequently, stop giving it to them and re-introduce at a later date.
• Cut food into small pieces so they can chew it easily.  Cut beans in half and make sure meats are soft and moist.  Help your baby with foods that are difficult to pick up, don't make the pieces bigger until you are sure they can manage them.
• This is a list of table foods, not finger foods, although many of them are.  For example, spread hummus on crackers or serve cottage cheese.  
• I nearly always use whole wheat or whole grain for noodles, crackers, and bread.  I would urge you to set the trend now and your child will not know any different.  Okay, I won't lecture on the benefits of whole grains, well not right now, anyways!

*Links are added throughout the post to Amazon so you can see what some of these foods actually are- I know not everyone has had quinoa before! There are also links to recipes!

Proteins

Tofu

Meatballs

Meatloaf

Cheese shredded from a hand grater (it is thicker and easier to grab this way)

Tilapia

Salmon

Chicken (make sure it is extra soft)

Turkey (ground or breast/cutlet)

Hard-boiled Egg

Scrambled Egg

Hummus

Black Beans

Cheese Spreads

Cottage Cheese

Ricotta Cheese

Crumbled Goat Cheese (or use as a spread)

Plain Pulled Pork (make sure it is extra soft)

Shreds of Pot Roast  (make sure it is extra soft)

Yogurt

Tzatziki Sauce (may need to puree if there are large pieces of cucumber in it)

Carbs

Toast

Plain or Buttered Bread

English Muffin

Bagel

Cheerios

Barley

Corn Grits/Polenta
Brown Rice

Short Pasta

Graham Crackers

Town House Crackers

Pancakes

Crepes

Waffles

French toast

Corn Grits/Polenta

Tortilla

Pita

Oatmeal
Quinoa

Cream Of  Wheat

Fruit and Vegetable Breads (i.e. zucchini, banana, etc.)

Muffins

Corn Bread

Fruits/Vegetables

Peaches

Watermelon

Plum

Mango

Banana

Avocado

Potato

Sweet Potato

Applesauce

Pears

Peas

Cooked Diced Apples

Cooked Diced Carrots (great to use pieces from soups)

Cooked Diced Celery

Pureed Soups (i.e. tomato, butternut squash)

Inside of Baked Potato

Mashed Potato

Mashed Sweet Potato

Broccoli (make sure this is extra soft)

Cauliflower (make sure this is extra soft)

Puree Fruits and use as a spread

Butternut Squash

Zucchini

Strawberries

Blackberries

Blueberries

Raspberries (many babies will find these too tart, but still give it a try)

Spinach (use in casseroles or foods you are mashing up)

Meal Plans

Below, I am outlining some various meal plans, just to give you some ideas.  Many of the meals would suit a toddler or big kid as well.  Again, depending on how your child is managing foods, you may need to dice or mash foods more.  I would encourage you to think of what you are eating and if you could modify it for your baby.  Ideally, you want your baby (soon to be toddler) to be eating what you are eating.  This may mean some planning ahead.  Mash up or chop what you are eating into small pieces.  Once you get into this frame of mind, you will be surprised to think of all the foods your baby can enjoy, too!

Also, I try to vary textures at each meal.  Meaning, I want one kind of food that needs to be eaten from a spoon and at least one that is finger-fed.  It doesn't always work out this way, but that's the goal, especially as they are transitioning off of all pureed foods.

I haven't provided snack suggestions in this post, as most babies aren't eating them.  

Breakfast

• English muffin with cream cheese and chopped strawberries
• Cottage cheese (depending on age may need to chop coarsely in food processor), diced pear, and graham crackers
• Diced hard-boiled egg, diced toast with butter, and applesauce
• Cream Of  Wheat with pureed berries and plain whole milk yogurt (yes, mix this all together)
• Pumpkin waffles and diced banana

Lunch

• Tortilla folded in half (quesadilla style) with a little melted cheese inside and mashed avocado
• No sugar added applesauce, zucchini bread, and shredded mozzarella pieces
• Tomato soup with black beans and blueberry cornbread
• Hummus spread on pita with diced fruit salad (or whatever fruit you have on hand)
• Shreds of pot roast in tzatziki sauce and pureed mango-banana sauce (blend pieces of mango and banana together, leaving it a little chunky). 

Dinner

• Ricotta or cottage cheese, spaghetti sauce, spinach, and whole wheat noodles chopped coarsely through a blender or food processor.  Also, give some pieces of noodles to finger feed
• Tilapia, steamed and slightly overcooked broccoli, and polenta
• Meatballs, barley, and diced carrots
• Mashed sweet potatoes, tender turkey breast or cutlet, and pieces of buttered bread
• Canned salmon (I always use wild Alaskan), quinoa, and diced apples/butternut squash

If you have more ideas, please share them!  I would love some new ideas, too! FYI, I used an idea or two from Parents and Babycenter.

Follow along on Pinterest, I am always pinning new, fun, and easy meal ideas. Don't miss any new content by signing up for email notifications (look for the box in the right sidebar)! I have lots more food ideas and developmental info for your babe!

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Tribute to Christina's Graduating Classes of 2012!

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Guest Post by Robyn Allgood: Spirituality and Childbearing

Last month I wrote a guest post for The Gift of Giving Life, and now we are reciprocating.  Robyn Allgood is one of the authors of a beautiful new book titled "The Gift of Giving Life:  Rediscovering the Diving Nature of Pregnancy and Birth" exploring spirituality, pregnancy, and birth.  It's full of birth stories, including an article Robyn wrote titled "Mother-Centered Baby Showers" full of creative, fresh, and spiritual ideas for the new mother's journey.  Birth Boot Camp training is keeping me super busy, so I haven't had a chance to dive into the book yet, but I am excited to do so.  I may have to wait in line, however, as Allison was ready to rip it from my hands this week when she found out I have a copy!

Thank you, Robyn -- and all the co-authors -- for putting this sacred book together.  It is a treasure.  Banned From Baby Showers readers, there is a coupon code for you at the bottom of Robyn's post.  Don't postpone ordering -- it expires on Father's Day, which is this Sunday!  Yikes!

Spirituality and Childbearing by Robyn Allgood

A little about me: 

I am a mother to five children, doula, childbirth educator, ICAN Chapter Leader, and more recently, coauthor of The Gift of Giving Life: Rediscovering the Divine Nature of Pregnancy and Birth. I will come back to that later but to give you an idea of my journey in childbearing I thought I would share a bit of my story.

In approaching my first birth I was very naive about it all. In my mind, the doctor and hospital would take care of everything and I would take my baby home happy. Right? Well, I took a crash course childbirth class at the hospital in which I remember the nurse/instructor saying that one-third of the women in our class would have a cesarean. I was sure I would not be one of them.

However, after a cascade of interventions, I gave birth by cesarean to a beautiful girl. We struggled to establish breastfeeding. Physical recovery was tough but making sense of what I had experienced emotionally and spiritually was what left me hungering for peace. I knew I wanted more children but I could not imagine doing it that way again. (I have a lot of respect for those women who have had multiple cesarean births.) I read and read and read. I was determined to VBAC.

Long story short, my second birth went so quickly that we did not make it to the hospital. My son was born unassisted at home. It was marvelous. I felt as if heaven had opened and handed me a priceless gift. I have since had three more babies in my home assisted by my loving husband and midwives.

Thus began my journey. Each birth has taught me precious lessons written by the whisperings of the Holy Spirit in the chambers of my heart. I am a changed woman every time I give life.

While physical and mental preparations are key elements for birth, the spiritual aspect should not be overlooked. This study co-authored by Lynn Callister and Inaam Khalaf, “Spirituality in Childbearing Women,” offers important insights into what we experience on a spiritual level as we give life. (Lynn Callister also wrote the forward for our book.) Within the study “the following themes emerged from the data: childbirth as a time to grow closer to God, the use of religious beliefs and rituals as powerful coping mechanisms, childbirth as a time to make religiosity more meaningful, the significance of a Higher Power in influencing birth outcomes, and childbirth as a spiritually transforming experience.”

The Gift of Giving Life includes numerous birth stories in which mothers (and a few fathers) share their spiritual experiences as they have engaged in the process of conception, pregnancy, birth and parenting.  The stories and essays within the book reaffirm childbirth to be a “spiritually transforming experience.”  Rebecca Overson shared on page 253 of our book, “It is in birth, my mother taught me, that a woman must show her trust in herself, her trust in God, and be consciously involved in a deliberate act of creation by giving her heart, might, mind, and strength to what is before her.”

The study by Callister and Khalaf emphasizes the importance of allowing women to share their birth stories with each other, including the spiritual dimensions of them, and not just the facts. In addition, health care providers are encouraged to ask, “Do you have any spiritual beliefs [or religious practices] that will help us provide better care for you during your pregnancy and birth?”

So I am curious, have you ever discussed your religion or spiritual beliefs with your caregiver and shared with them how they can better provide care for you during your pregnancy or birth?

How do you think it would impact the way they care for women, babies and families if we did discuss religious and spiritual beliefs surrounding birth?

Have you ever included religious or spiritual preferences on your birth plan? How was it received?

Have you had the opportunity to share the spiritual side of your birth stories?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

Visit The Gift of Giving Life site to sign up for their newsletter and to receive a free Meditation MP3 as well as tips to help increase spirituality in your pregnancy and birth.

For my readers here is a coupon code for 10% off a copy of The Gift of Giving Life. Click here and after you add the book to your cart use this coupon code: GWFWXR3F.  This code is good until Father’s Day 2012. 

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Term 2 school schedule 2012

This term is totally unscheduled and unplanned. Last term had a lot of structure and set days to do things and this term is very.. Unscheduled and unplanned.

We had a two week daily stint at the pools learning how to swim and doing a mighty great job at doing so.

And rushed weeks, relaxed weeks, irregular weeks.

But that's ok.

Learning has been taking place in a natural regular environment and I am well pleased with the progress that has been taking place.

Comprehension of language is soaring..

One child's maths ability has exploded to the next level to which I'm undecided how I'm going to deal with it.. A 4yr old at a 6yr olds level? Miss Academic..

Written words are developing.. And reading.. Reading.. Hmmm.. Reading is slow..

2yr old wants to do school work now too.. Hmmm.. So we play 'schools' with him too..

So that's how this term is panning out..hands on natural learning in controlled environments.. And I like it better like this!!

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