Blog Assignment Week Four:

Topic: Isolation as a child

When I was younger I had a friend whose parents wouldn’t allow her to socialize with other people. We were friends because we lived across the street from her and her mom was my mom’s friend. But her parent’s homeschooled her and she weren’t allowed to join and clubs or sports of any kind. I believe that this is an example of isolation. I was her only friend other than family members. As an adult, twenty years later, she hasn’t been able to successfully adjust to society. She hasn’t been able to keep a job for longer than two years. And she isn’t able to maintain relationships romantic of friendships. I believe she has these difficulties because she wasn’t properly socialized as a child. She was kept in isolation for a large part of her growing up life.

That experience was extremely detrimental to her developmental process. She has been to counseling and has tried to join various groups to help her social awkwardness.

She has improved with time, but it has taken a lot of work and stress on her part. We are still friends and keep in contact with one another on a weekly basis. I have been able to witness her progress as she continues to grow more confidence in herself. I hope that one day she will be able to function as a normal person in society without experiencing anxiety.

Blog Assignment Two

SIDS:

The topic I chose to discuss this week is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). I chose this topic because I have a five week old baby and would like to know more about SIDS and how to prevent it. Knowing this information will help me in my future because I will be able to inform parents of SIDS and how to prevent it.

 Here are some interesting facts that I learned about SIDS:

·         Most infant deaths related to SIDS happen while the infants are sleeping in their crib

·         Babies are at risk of dying of SIDS until they are about one year old

·         The highest risk of SIDS is from two to four months of age

·         SIDS effects males more than females

·         It appears that the baby dies quickly and does not experience pain

·         More SIDS related deaths take place in cold weather then in warm weather

What you can do to avoid SIDS:

·         Always put your child to sleep on their back

·         Do not overload the crib/sleeping area with stuffed animals

·         Don’t use fluffy blankets or crib bumpers

·         Make sure your baby does not get too warm while sleeping

The number of infants who die because of SIDS has gone down dramatically in recent years. However it is still a threat. I look forward to the day when researchers can discover the actual cause of SIDS and definite ways to prevent it.  

 http://www.nichd.nih.gov/sids/upload/PART_II.pdf

Blog Assignment One:

The birthing experience that I chose to talk about was the birth of my son last month. It was a whirlwind of an experience. My water broke around 11:15pm and my son was born at 2:14am. I decided that I wanted to have a drug-free, water birth. I would highly recommend water birth to anyone. I found the birthing tub much more comfortable then the bed. I really don’t remember a lot of the experience, it went by so fast. I remember being in extreme pain, and then the feeling of relief when it was over. Now that it is over, it was amazing. 

 

I chose to research birthing methods in Australia. A majority of the babies that are born in Australia are born “naturally” or vaginally. This is similar to my experience since I had my baby naturally. I found a useful website called Bellybelly.com.au. It has tips and information about conception, pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and more.