Quotes from Dr. Spock

I have not done any research about Dr. Spock, nor have I read his book...meaning, I don't know or necessarily support his position on child rearing. I found these quotes and thought they were very interesting. They are from his book Baby and Child Care. It was first published in 1945, with many updated editions since. My editorial comments are below the quote.

"You know more than you think you do."
I have learned that you have to trust your mother instincts. You may have to learn some skills (i.e. diapering, feeding, etc.), but after you get the hang of these things, the rest of mothering comes naturally.

"Don't take too seriously all that the neighbors say. Don't be overawed by what the experts say. Don't be afraid to trust your own common sense."
I think this goes along with the above quote. We have to trust our common sense and mother instincts. If you think your baby is acting contrary to her normal self, you have to trust that feeling and call the doctor. Most of the time your gut is right. I think that we can learn and gain a lot of knowledge from friends and "experts," but no one else knows my baby like I do. And I cannot replace that intimate knowledge with advice from a book.

My thoughts are above. Use the comments feature to discuss what you think about this quote from Dr. Spock (or any of the other quotes).

"The more people have studied different methods of bringing up children the more they have come to the conclusion that what good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is the best after all. All parents do their best job when they have a natural, easy confidence in themselves. Better to make a few mistakes from being natural than to try to do everything letter-perfect out of a feeling of worry."

Quote for Today

"What many people try to do is they try to fit the baby into their lives rather than wrapping their lives around the baby." ~Dr. Jay Gordon

What do you think about this statement?

What's For Dinner

We love Italian!

MONDAY
Grilled Pork Fingers (I buy a large pack from Sam's and then separate into three meals, about $3 per meal)

Italian Pasta Salad
1 box seashell or wagon wheel pasta, cooked
1 can sliced olives
1 bag beef or turkey pepperoni,,chopped
1 sliced or chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pack Good Seasons dry Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 cup red wine or rice vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/8 tsp. pepper
Combine and chill for several hours.

Baked Multi-Grain Bread

TUESDAY
Stuffed Loaded Potatoes
Bake potatoes at 350 degrees about 2 hours. Slice in half. Scoop out insides. Whip with mixer, combined with sour cream, milk, butter and salt. Mix in cheddar cheese. Spoon back into skins. Top with bacon bits, green onions and cheese. Bake about 30 minutes until potatoes are hot.

WEDNESDAY
Mac-A-Pizza
Boil 8 oz. elbow macaroni. While hot, stir in 4 slices American cheese (cut into pieces) until cheese melts. Cool and then stir in 2 beaten eggs. Press into pie pan sprayed with Pam and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Spread with pizza sauce, top with pepperoni and cheese. Bake 15 more minutes or until cheese melts.

THURSDAY
Stuffed Manicotti
Combine 1 tub Ricotta cheese with one egg, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Spread 1/2 can of spaghetti sauce on bottom of baking dish sprayed with Pam. Stuff cheese mixture into unbaked manicotti shells and place on sauce. Pour remaining sauce on top of shells, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes or until shells are tender. Cover with mozarella cheese and return to oven to melt.

Fresh Green Beans

Welcome!!

Hello moms!...and by moms I mean new moms and expectant moms. I am glad that you are visiting Starting Point's new blog, Momsense. We hope that this site will become a trusted resource for you as you begin or continue on your journey through motherhood.

The vision for this blog is to be a magazine-type format. There will be weekly features such as meal planning (complete with recipes and shopping lists) and articles from experts. Hopefully, you will be willing to lend us a hand, and give us your point of view on a topic!

Please use the comments feature on this post to give us any ideas or suggestions that you might have so that we can make this a useful resource for you. We are really excited to get the blog moving, and we can't wait to learn and grow our Momsense!

ME? DEPRESSED?

“How can I possibly be feeling depressed?” It’s a question asked by a lot of new moms. But seldom out loud. It doesn’t seem to make much sense that a brand new baby, gifts and well wishes from family and friends, and grand plans for the future would result in depression. So, most moms suffer in silence, afraid to admit that, in fact, they are feeling depressed.

What causes this very common yet mysterious dilemma? Let’s look at a few possibilities and solutions.

Expectations.

No matter how meticulously a mother has planned for her new arrival or anticipated her new life as a mom, things are seldom as she thought they would be. There is simply no way to prepare for the jarring reality of life with a newborn. Let’s face it, the cheerful images envisioned while shopping for strollers, bottles and blankets often hold little resemblance to the sleepless nights, explosive diapers and endless feedings that make up real-life days with a newborn.

“This is just not the way I thought things would be/feel” is a common remark. And that is important for new moms to understand. It is common. You didn’t miss something. You didn’t fail to plan properly. You’re not missing any motherhood genes. Life is simply more challenging than you imagined it would be. So, what’s a mom to do?

Accept your new reality.
The first few weeks at home with your baby may not look anything like you imagined they would, but they are normal. Most moms who are honest will tell you they were surprised by how difficult those weeks were. Along with an overwhelming rush of the fiercest love they have ever experienced, most moms feel tired, afraid, and discouraged.

It is simply the way things are.

Paul shared his secret about being okay with whatever surprises life brought his way. He said, I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:11,13). Follow Paul’s example. Ask God to give you strength to face these new circumstances. He will not only strengthen you, but in the process He will help you find a new definition for contentment.

Lower your expectations.
Put aside your ideas of how you expected life was going to be with your little one and take hold of life as it is. As hard as it may be to believe right now, this time of adjustment will pass quickly.

Let your house go! Forget about cleaning. Allow your visitors to climb over clutter. If they’re parents, they’ll understand. If they’re not, they don’t have a clue, so forgive their raised eyebrows. Take advantage of being a new mom with a perfect excuse for a messy house! Your excuse will run out soon enough.

Accept help.
Welcome meals offered by friends. Solicit advice (you don’t have to follow it, but gathering information from many sources can be helpful). Don’t feel like you should already know the answers. Your baby is unique, and there is no textbook that offers the perfect answer for every newborn. Call your baby’s physician and talk to a nurse (that’s what she’s there for, so don’t feel guilty).

Isolation

Another surprise most brand new moms experience is isolation. Immersed in what goes in one end of their baby and what comes out the other, a new mom has little time for emails, phone calls and text messages that used to keep her connected to family and friends. On top of that, recovering from a delivery or learning to breastfeed can be painful, exhausting experiences that may make a new mom shy away from long visits.

Even with a supportive husband, a new mom can feel alone with her feelings. Husbands are often dealing with their own fears and adjustments. Along with loss of sleep or at the very least new sleeping schedules, husbands may be battling their own insecurities about the newly placed affections of their wives. They may feel they have been banished from the throne of their palace to the basement.

Reach Out
When a new baby is born, friends and family members are normally hesitant about when to call or visit. They may not want to bother a sleeping baby (or mom) and may assume the days are taken up with feeding and playing. They are probably not aware of your desire for conversation. Call them. Let them know you need their friendship and/or their help. Your phone calls may last only a few moments, but they will let your friends know you want to stay connected.

The Bible says it best: A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. Or, more literally: If you are cheerful, you feel good; if you are sad, you hurt all over [CEV] (Proverbs 17:22). While you’re healing, watch some funny stuff! Rent some comedies or funny re-runs. Also, listen to praise music. When my daughter was expecting, I purchased a small CD player and tapes with soothing praise songs. She set the player up next to her changing table, and she clicks the player on every time she changes her son’s diaper. Not only does the music soothe him, but it lifts my daughter’s spirits as she is reminded throughout the day that God is very present.

Be honest with your husband about how you’re feeling and allow him to be honest with you. Let him off the hook. He can’t possibly know how to be the perfect husband, especially when life as you’ve known it has been turned upside-down! He needs help understanding your frustrations. Pay attention to him in small ways to help ease his own feelings of insecurity. Let him know that he may feel like he’s playing second fiddle, but your love for him has not changed.

Fear

Few milestones in life are filled with as much fear as the arrival of a new baby. Every mom is afraid of failure, of not “measuring up” as a parent. Often combined with that fear is the guilt of not liking this new life. Most moms admit that, at least once, they felt an overwhelming urge to take their babies back and return to life as it was! The shame produced by those feelings can make new moms feel as though they have failed.

There are no perfect parents, so there is nothing to “measure up to.” Even parents of teenagers will admit to constantly feeling like they are navigating new territory each time their child enters a new phase. Children are unique, and there simply is no textbook that will produce either a perfect parent or a perfect child. Don’t beat yourself up. And don’t believe the lie that every other parent is doing just fine. They are learning just like you are.

Learn to laugh at yourself and ask for advice.
Expect to know nothing! Open yourself up to advice from trusted friends and family members, then sort through it along with your husband and make your best decision. Find a physician you trust and follow his or her advice, but remember that no one knows your baby like you do. Laugh at your mistakes. Even record them in your baby book. One day you’ll get a belly laugh from the very things that cause you so much frustration today.

Recognize your own need for a Parent.
The best thing we can do as parents is to be aware that we need help. We have a Heavenly Father who is the only perfect Parent. He can teach us everything we need to know and He will never leave us on our own. As a parent, we are most effective when we are willing to be parented. But I have learned to feel safe and satisfied, just like a young child on its mother's lap (Psalm 131:2).

Mothers with babies under one year should be aware of the symptoms of postpartum depression. www.4women.gov says that "depression can be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. But true clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time."

For additional information:
http://www.4women.gov/FAQ/postpartum.htm#4
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/pregnancy/ppd/general/379.html
http://www.babycenter.com/0_postpartum-depression_227.bc#articlesection1