A Boston Baby Nurse practice in many specialties with differing levels of prescription authority. Many Baby Nurses provide care within the ordering scope of physicians, and this traditional role has shaped the public image of nurses as care providers. However, nurse practitioners are permitted by most jurisdictions to practice independently in a variety of settings. Since the postwar period, nurse education has undergone a process of diversification towards advanced and specialized credentials, and many of the traditional regulations and provider roles are changing

Posts

Choosing Newborn Care in Boston

/0 Comments/in , /by

Choosing Newborn Care in Boston. First Parents need to identify the categories.

Choosing Newborn Care in Boston is personal. Does this come with such questions as Safety? Location? Hours? Price? and Flexibility? These can be confusing choices for first-time parents.

Daycare Center – Centers like KinderCare, Next Generation Child Care Centers, The Goddard School, and Bright Horizons are located in most cities and towns. There are also many private centers-located in churches and community centers, which are run in a similar fashion.

Private, In-home Day Care – Home based daycare centers, mainly in more suburban locations in most towns. They are located in designated areas in private homes operated by a licensed daycare provider.

Private Nannies– Professional care providers with educational training, credentials, references, years of experience, and local knowledge of child-rearing resources and child-friendly activities.

Au Pairs- Can come from over 60 countries, Au Pairs come to the US for one-two years on a J1 learning visa and they come with stringent background checks. Plus parents are provided with local coordinators to assist the families with working with Au Pairs.

So parents now need to decide how to choose from these options.

Corporate Facilities; Those in designated buildings: school-like environment, with fluorescent lighting and industrial furniture, secure entrances, and exits. These are more regulated; there are more eyes on your child. Report cards and progress reports- there are more checks and balances.

Choosing Newborn Care

Home-based Centers; More cozy outfits with the nice lady down the street who bakes cookies and encourages the kiddos to come in PJ’s and their favorite lovey. Less structured, however, the rules and regulations are in place, just a softer touch. The ratio of provider to the child is strictly enforced here as well.

Nanny’s; The kids are in their own home, with their own things; napping in their own crib. No need to pack up the kids on those cold and snowy days. They get to stay in their nice cozy and warm bed. A huge perk is that there is an adult in your home to bring in the mail, meet a delivery, and take care of the children’s laundry, their food prep, and their toys.

Live-In Au pair: Structured to be like a family member who can immerse a new language and culture to the children’s life. She lives there, knows the house as her own. Encouraged by the family to get a good nights sleep and maintain a wholesome girl-next-door persona and become part of the family

I remember making these choices when my kids were small. I tested out each option because I couldn’t make the decision. Parenting isn’t as easy as you may think. The choices are endless and the worrying constant. But understand that we all get through it and find solutions for your most important priority, your child…..

My 20 years of experience allow me the opportunity of sorting through the confusion for  Choosing Newborn Care in Boston

20 Must-Have Pregnancy Apps

/0 Comments/in /by

20 Must-Have Pregnancy Apps

20 Must-Have Pregnancy Apps for Every Mom-to-Be, I feel very old as a Parent that relies on this highly connected world we are now forced to live in. Smartphones, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp. Must-Have Pregnancy Apps, why should we need these?

Hello Belly: Pregnancy Tracker.

This might just be the pregnancy app with the cutest guides ever — and they’re informative, too. The app comes loaded with entertaining tips from top experts, week-by-week info about your growing baby, mommy yoga, womb visualizations, and more.

My wife and our first child read books, yes looked online at like WebMD. Rubbed Baby Oil on my wife’s growing Belly. We read someplace it stopped stretch marks.  

20 Must-Have Pregnancy Apps The Bump Pregnancy App

 

20 Must-Have Pregnancy Apps

20 Must-Have Pregnancy Apps

This app features an addicting week-by-week pregnancy comparison guide that compares the stage of your pregnancy with an illustration of a cute fruit. Each day, the app is updated with fresh editorial content by the staff at The Bump. There are other features, too, like the ability to ask questions to the editors, medical experts, and other real moms. Don’t forget to document your pregnancy by utilizing the weekly photo albums!

Our way of comparing pregnancy and our development was all those trips for the Ultra Sounds. And that always asked the question, “Do you want to know if it’s a boy or girl”. Not sure this App will be able to tell you this.

This one is ridiculous if you ask me. We are having A Baby Pool?

20 Must-Have Pregnancy Apps Baby Pool Pregnancy App

This is hysterical. Just like fantasy football, your friends and family members can start placing bets on your pregnancy. There’s a point system, so the friend who guesses the right gender will get 100 points, and the cousin who guesses the first letter of the name will get 25 points, and so on!

Our Baby Pool was our Parents and Relatives asking after a trip to the Doctor. “How is everything going”. Are you going to find out what you’re having? Kind of like asking what are you having for Dinner?

My point of all this is, you’re going to have a Baby. That Baby needs all your attention and love right from the start. Not a Baby App to teach you about raising your Baby. The first two years sets everything for your Baby.

I see Parents letting three-year-olds sit for hours and watch Kids Videos on YouTube.

Why a man treats his wife like he treats his mother

/0 Comments/in /by

Why a man treats his wife like he treats his mother

If that is true, you may in trouble. To say that my son is very demanding is putting it lightly. Breakfast, lunch, dinner snacks served when he wants it and no other time will do.

This was our first glimpse into his anger issues. If his food is not presented to him as soon as he demands it, he goes from 0 to 60 in a millisecond. The whole night kicking, screaming and crying. However, it is not just-food.

Like you, I imagined so many sweet moments cuddling together with my baby. Back bending, head butting, feet thrusting, exorcism instead of the sweet little coo and cuddle I am looking for. Think it is sweet when he runs his fingers through your hair? Watch out, it is his game. He will grab a fistful and yank until it in his hand. Then he will laugh and laugh.

Why a man treats his wife like he treats his mother

Moreover, forget about earrings and necklaces that might require a plastic surgeon.

Then there is the sleep problem. Is sleeping your thing, alternatively, sleeping in general? Not anymore. He will keep you up demanding something different every moment, and then fall asleep at 6 a.m.

You are wrong if you think he does not wake up every two hours to do it all over again. Think again, it will spasmodically happen for months. Just when you think, the coast is clear you may actually string together 4-5 hours of sleep, SCREAM. I think he thrives off your sleep-deprived demeanor. It strengthens him as he drains every bit of your energy.

I am hopeful that things improve with time because his silly giggles, twinkly looks, and belly laughs are definitely the highlight of my day. Sometimes he wants to hold my hand, so hold it often. When he is sad, I sing him a song, hold him close, and help him calm down.

One day this will be your job and with you in mind, I am doing my best to raise a good man.

All the best,

Mom

My Journey into Motherhood

/1 Comment/in /by

My Journey into Motherhood continues to evolve with twists, turns, and discoveries; so does my path into rediscovering myself.

We struggled for years to try to have another child.  Who would have thought that years of IVF with constant monthly let downs, hundreds of visits to the doctors, lots of daily injections, hope and faith lost, that it would finally happen? 

Motherhood

Love your baby

My Journey into Motherhood, Fertility issues are a horrible battle. If I heard one more time.

 “Relax it will happen”,

 I would have punched someone in the face. 

Relax?  Every evening was not “would you like red or white wine”? It was.

“Where and what side of your bum did we inject the needle last night”. 

The financial burden of IVF and the constant disappointment is enough to make you go crazy. Then there’s the worry of injecting unnatural liquids into your body daily. What about the potential side effects that could appear down the road?  It is unsettling. 

Relationships get tested and romance is gone. Wanting something so bad and to be told I should come to the realization it may never happen??? It was something I could not accept. 

My older son always wanted a sibling.  As he got older he would say 

“it’s not fun being the only child”. 

Hey, what’s a little more pressure?  How could we explain to our happy 8-year old, who, at this point has received anything and everything he asked  (within reason) that this was one thing we would not be able to give to him?

After another call from the IVF tech saying there were two embryos inserted BUT your levels don’t look like it will take…

That was the final straw for us. 

This was going to be my last effort. I cut caffeine, red meat, carbs; basically, all the fun, the good stuff was replaced with a super organic, very unappetizing fare. We had gone all organic/natural; protein shakes with kale, dandelion greens, lemongrass and plenty of natural vitamins twice a day, grass and leaves for lunch and protein, quinoa, blah blah blah for dinner. Not exactly the meatball sub or hot fudge sundae my hormone riddled body craved. 

We turned to Chinese medicine. It is pretty amazing. I was treated weekly by an acupuncturist which I believe was a huge factor in our success. After one month of eating all organic and natural, along with the treatments, was the first time we ever had several eggs that were great enough to freeze and two beauties to insert. 

FINALLY, the call came, My Journey into Motherhood has started.

“It took!!!”

“You are PREGNANT and your levels look great”

Fast Forward…

I loved being pregnant; I was older, wiser, and thought I had more patience. 

I actually began to feel that pregnancy glow.   

Then at five and a half months 

BUMP!- the tiniest parking-lot fender bender.

The glow was over…

My water broke.

To Be Continued

I hate the term “Empowering Women.”

/0 Comments/in , , /by

I hate the term “Empowering Women.” Empowering Women has become the term used when you offer a woman a job or an opportunity. In many cases more of a marketing term to place on a website or in blog posts or Facebook rant. What were we doing before this term now overused and without meaning grabbed the spotlight?

Women’s Empowerment Principles:

Empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors is essential to build stronger economies, achieve internationally agreed goals for development and sustainability, and improve the quality of life for women, men, families, and communities.

How does this work if you are attempting to Empowering Women, where do you start?

In Guatemala, I have a great friend, a supporter of Boston Newborn Care, and our work. In turn, I admire James Dillon’s work in Guatemala, he never uses the term Empowering Women, and Enabling is his preferred means to express his work with Ethical Fashion Guatemala.

 

Empowering Women

Empowering Women

James works mostly with Mayan Women Weaving Artisans, in the remote Highlands of Guatemala. The textiles are all handmade dyed from plant seeds, natural cotton, and handspun into works of textile art. The weavers lacked access to technology; he enabled women to have access to websites, banking, and shipping.

Resulting in economic improvement, products sold internationally and sustainability for the weavers and other forms of Artisan works. Prior local Tourists were the customers, often bartering for a $20 scarf that took a week to weave.

 

Empowering Women

Empowering Women

James stresses the fact that Ethical Fashion Guatemala is a business, not a None Profit-seeking donation or a project. Artisans need work and sales, not donations.

Two years ago, James’ life in Guatemala changed, Fashionista wrote an article about how from Guatemala James forced ETSY, the on-line handcraft portal to remove thousands of Copyright works of Artisans from their website. The story went Viral.

Think about James’ story next time you see a sign or website about Empowering Women. I am today thinking how can I Enable more women??

Mother’s Day

/0 Comments/in /by

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father’s Day, Siblings Day, and Grandparents Day.

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day

Anna Marie Jarvis (May 1, 1864 – November 24, 1948) was the founder of the Mother’s Day holiday in the United States. Her mother had frequently expressed a desire for the establishment of such a holiday, and after her mother’s death, Jarvis led the movement for the commemoration.

Ann Reeves Jarvis was a social activist, founder of Mothers’ Day Work Clubs. As a woman defined by her faith, she was very active within the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church community. It was during one of her Sunday school lessons in 1876 that her daughter, Anna Jarvis, allegedly found her inspiration for Mother’s Day, as Ann closed her lesson with a prayer, stating:

I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mothers day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life. She is entitled to it.

— Ann Reeves Jarvis

However, as the years passed, Jarvis grew disenchanted with the growing commercialization of the observation (she herself did not profit from the day) and even attempted to have Mother’s Day rescinded. She died in a sanitarium, her medical bills paid by people in the floral and greeting card industries.

I hate all of the commercialization behind the day that celebrates moms; imagine how Anna Jarvis would feel now. The holiday’s founder worked so hard to get the world to give moms everywhere a day of recognition. Before her death, even she had to admit she had some regrets about starting Mother’s Day.

 

My Babies Bum and Diaper Rash

/0 Comments/in /by

Diaper Rash, Newborn parents find the first few weeks challenging, being accustomed to your baby, sleepless nights, breast-feeding and for some Diaper Rash. Seeing your Babies bottom ablaze in fiery color and pain all a mother seeks it to find relief for your Newborns suffering.

There are seven home remedies for diaper rash from diarrhea, yeast infection and other common triggers. Breast milk helps, if you are breastfeeding, if not the remedies include apple cider vinegar, olive oil, cornstarch, and browned flour.

I prefer to stay away from chemical based creams and lotion; one never knows what the hidden ingredients on the label may hold, many natural products may have side effects. The fact Microplastics found in almost everything we put on our body, including toothpaste.

Remember our skin is the largest organ on our body and what we put on it and our Babies bum will be absorbed.

 

I found in of all places Guatemala a natural product for Diaper Rash called “Baby Butter.”

Diaper Rash

 

On the shores of Lake Atitlan Guatemala, I found Geno Veva is a 35-year-old Guatemalan who gave up her career as an engineer five years ago to start a family and to take a break from the high tech world.

Her focus develop pure natural products based on Coconut, Coffee, Cacao, Avocado, Macadamia, and the vast supply of local herbs the Mayan culture have used for hundreds of years for natural medicines.

 

Diaper Rash

Geno working at home

Geno has real world experience with Diaper rash, stretch marks, her five-year-old daughter Love proves her products work as many of her products based on her experience as a mother. Geno continues to develop new products, natural deodorant for woman prone to breath cancer, soaps oil and lotions.

 

Diaper Rash

Geno Creams

I like the idea of supporting Geno through the blogs I write and my interest in natural products. Each products is handmade, extracting natural oils from plants. You can find her on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/Atitlanherbals/. She ships her products worldwide, offers workshops and classes.

 

Newborn Development Babies

/0 Comments/in /by

Newborn development babies. During their time in the womb, babies hear, feel, and even smell their mothers, so it’s not hard to believe that they’re attached right from birth. But as any adoptive parent will tell you, biology is only part of the love story. Young babies bond emotionally with people who give them regular care and affection.

A pregnant woman’s thoughts are the precursor for her emotions. … Hundreds of studies have confirmed that chemicals released by the pregnant mother’s body are transported into the womb and affect the unborn baby.” Negative thoughts are often the root cause of a fear-based stress response.

Your baby will recognize your scent within days of birth. Researchers have found that 3-day-old infants are able to discriminate their mom’s milk from someone else’s by its smell. And not only does your baby know your scent, he loves it too. … You’re my mommy!'”

Newborn development babies Week 1: Blurry View. In her first week, Baby can only see objects about 8-12 inches in front of her face. This is about the distance from her face to yours while feeding. Babies generally hold their gaze for only a few seconds.

A 1-week-old, a baby will spend most of the day sleeping. In fact, during the first week of life, a typical newborn baby will sleep for 16-18 hours every 24 hours. … Until then, your days and nights might feel a little mixed up during this first week.

Between birth and three months, your baby may start to: Smile. Early on, it will be just to herself. But within three months, she’ll be smiling in response to your smiles and trying to get you to smile back at her.

Newborn development babies first 3 months of life are by far the hardest for any parent. … The first milestone comes at six weeks, when baby smiles properly for the first time. But it is the three-month mark most new parents wait for anxiously – especially if they have a colicky, difficult baby.

So here are our tops tips for moms with newborn babies, from the mouth of real moms!

  1. Don’t Hush-A-Bye-Baby.
  2. Soothe Your Wailing Newborn.
  3. Help Get Your Baby to Latch.
  4. Get Prepped.
  5. Keeping Your Baby Awake During Feedings.
  6. Help Your Baby Bond with Dad.
  7. Crib Comfort.
  8. Sleep Trick.

Boston Newborn Care for Parents, offers a 3-hour course for new parents. Newborn Care Course for Parents is offered in Community College Throughout New England. The class is limited to 5 couples. New England Newborn Care has chosen a comfortable space for new parents to spend the 3 hours environment for parents to be.

Courses for Parents

Newborns and Measles

/1 Comment/in /by

Newborns and Measles

Massachusetts: 2nd measles case reported in Lowell

https://www.vox.com/2019/1/27/18199514/measles-outbreak-2018-clark-county-washington

Newborns and Measles

Measles is wildly contagious and during an outbreak, it can spread, especially to older infants who aren’t vaccinated yet. … Over 95% of babies who get the shot at 12 months of age are protected against measles and over 99% are protected for a lifetime after the 2nd dose (given at least 1 month later).

Measles is an airborne disease which spreads easily through the coughs and sneezes of infected people. It may also be spread through contact with saliva or nasal secretions. Nine out of ten people who are not immune and share living space with an infected person will be infected . People are infectious to others from four days before to four days after the start of the rash. Most people do not get the disease more than once. Testing for the measles virus in suspected cases is important for public health efforts

Infants, of course, are not supposed to get the MMR vaccine until they’re at least 12 months old, so they’re at a higher risk of contracting the disease. Here is how you can best protect your baby from measles.

A child should receive the first shot when he or she is between 12–15 months, and the second when he’s between 4–6 years of age. If you’re not sure if you have had the diseases or the vaccines (prior to 1971 it was given in three separate shots), you can get the MMR vaccine as an adult

Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. From 2001-2013, 28% of children younger than 5 years old who had measles had to be treated in the hospital. For some children, measles can lead to: Pneumonia (a serious lung infection).

Breast milk also contains antibodies, which means that babies who are breastfed have passive immunity for longer. … Passive immunity to measles, mumps and rubella can last for up to a year, which is why the MMR vaccine is given just after your baby’s first birthday.

Koplik Spots. Mouth of a patient with Koplik spots, an early sign of measles infection. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet.

The rash usually lasts for three to five days and then fades away. In uncomplicated cases, people who get measles start to recover as soon as the rash appears and feel back to normal in about two to three weeks. But up to 40 percent of patients have complications from the virus.

 

The New Normal…

/0 Comments/in /by

The New Normal… I could finally see him, this little boy who had such a rough start into this crazy world. Who knew trips to the NICU, days, nights, weeks would be the new normal for us.

Not being able to hold this miracle baby or just touch him thru the glass window while he was getting warmed under the lights was hard.  This is not what I expected, seeing him struggling to breath, feeding tubes, cloth over his eyes while he received light treatment for jaundice.

As a mom, no matter what age your kids are l, you always want to hold, smell and snuggle them as often as you can. This baby was a miracle to us in every way.  The years of infertility, constant letdowns of IVF treatments not working and now, just hours old and having to face new battles.

You do a lot of soul searching when you feel the lowest of low; you are always asking yourself, “Why”?, “How come”?, “What did I do to deserve this”?.

When I finally got to hold him for a brief moment, I forgot all the guilt I was carrying and felt complete joy, love and I knew this little boy was going to be my precious gift from above.

My husband and older son had finally arrived for their first visit and the joy on my oldest sons face was just pure love. He was do happy to see this little boy he also had prayed for.

While dad and my number one son got to hold him, it set in with me that was going home tomorrow and this baby was not coming with me.

The doctors came in later that evening to explain all of the battles he was facing.   I am didn’t hear anything but “he will be home for a few months”.

My heart sank, my heart broke, i was sick to my stomach. Who knew the next few months would be the new normal for us.

All of my time would be spent at the NICU. The New Normal…