My Third Born:

My Third Born: A little over 17 years ago I was pregnant with my third daughter Olivia. I was not feeling well one December evening and decided to take a shower to help me relax before going to bed. While in the shower I heard a tiny little pop. I quickly shut off the shower and stepped out of the tub to discover my water broke. Within a matter of minutes I was in serious pain. My husband and I gathered up Madeline (3 years) and Emilegh (18 months) and raced down out hill. I knew we had to hurry. I was feeling a lot of pressure. We dropped the girls off at their aunt and uncles and sped to the hospital. The ride from our house to the hospital took roughly 20 minutes.  By the time we reached the hospital I was feeling the urge to push. I walked passed the ER, straight to the elevator, up to delivery. My husband stayed back to sign papers. I explained to the nurse the baby was coming now. She did not believe me at first however as soon as I could I was in the bed and she too quickly realized I was not kidding. My doctor happened to be at the hospital and delivered Olivia Jo Zbaeren 7 minutes after I reached the delivery room. My husband entered the room just in time to see her arrive. 

I chose this experience because it was much different than my other deliveries. (I have 4 biological daughters and 1 adopted daughter). Although my other daughters were born in three hours or less Olivia’s was so short I felt rushed and ill prepared. Olivia was not a planned pregnancy and I was overwhelmed from the beginning of the pregnancy until about three months after her birth. I felt like I was spread thin and wanted to be able to give all the girls all of my love and was not sure how I was going to manage. I did not feel an instant connection with Olivia and needed my husband’s support as well as extended family support. Thank God they all jumped right into help. I suffered from postpartum depression for six weeks or so but did get the help I needed right away.

I think the impact on Olivia was minimal however I think that is due to the fact she was cared for by others especially dad. I understand that an unplanned pregnancy can cause much stress. I focused on my little girls at home and loved my life with them and my husband so I knew everything would work out in the end. I also think my faith kept me strong. The text explains, “bonding after birth is neither necessary nor sufficient for strong parental alliance and for parent-child attachment throughout life” (Berger, 2009). Even after all these years I was happy to read those words. I wanted it to be love at first sight but the fact is it took time.

FYI: After I adjusted we enjoyed Olivia so very much. She was a pleasant spirited baby and is a wonderful young lady now! I love her!

I decided to look at women giving birth in Iraq. Many women receive or opt out of prenatal care out of fear. There is a poor health care system and often there are only nurses in the hospitals and they carry guns. Women are often charged for ambulance rides to the hospital once labor has begun. If labor begins during curfew hours women fear leaving their homes and try to get assistance from a midwife. If they reach a hospital there may not be a doctor for various reasons one being kidnapping.  It is a scary time for women in Iraq altogether. I felt sad reading this article.

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Trejos, Nancy (2009). Iraq’s woes are adding major risks to childbirth. Retrieved from

http://www.washingtonpost.com

Josie Zbaeren

Week 7 Assignment

NAEYC: Here are the three codes of ethics that are meaningful to me and significant to my professional life.

1. "Base our work on knowledge of how children develop and learn."
2. "Appreciate and support the bond between the child and family."
3."Recognize that children and adults achieve their full
Potential in the context of relationships that are based
on trust and respect."

These three are meaningful to me for several reasons. First, in order to teach children to move from one skill to another we must understand child development. Second, as early educator's we must be mindful and respectful of family bonds, maintain appropriate boundaries, and provide services that are family friendly. Parents are children's first and most important teachers we must act as supporters of families. Last, trust is the key to any successful relationship. We have the honor of taking care of parents most prized possession and we must work to help children and families reach their fullest potential by building a foundation of trust. Understanding the above concepts is essential to the success of my students. I must understand child development and have parents on board to provide the best services I can for children and families.

Resources (Walden)

Resources from Walden

http://www.erikson.edu/

http://www.voices.org/

http://www.preknow.org/

http://nieer.org/

http://www.nccanet.org/

http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/

http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm

http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

http://www.ccw.org/

http://www.childrensdefense.org/

http://www.highscope.org/ 

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/

http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm

http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm

http://www.zerotothree.org/

http://www.dec-sped.org/

http://www.naeyc.org/

http://www.naeyc.org/

http://www.omep-usnc.org/

http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us

http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf

http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller

My Resources:

http://edkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/

http://childdevlopment.com/childdevelopment/teens

http://oldweb.naeyc.org/

Other resources I use:

Collogues, instructors, trainings.

Josie Zbaeren