OVERCOMING STRESSORS

I have a very close college friend who faced so of these adversities, but she found strength through another outlet in life. My friend often opened up her heart to me when we were roommates in college about her life growing up. She said that her mother turned to drugs when their father left them. Her mother drug abuse affected my friend and her brother. She said that there were times when her mother would use whatever money they had for the month for drugs and left them hungry. She said no matter what was going on at home she and her brother managed to go to school so that they could eat and be in a safe place for awhile. She said that she would always remember her 5th grade teacher because she noticed the condition of her clothes and hair. My friend 's teacher informed the school support system. Eventually they were placed with family member, and her mother received help for her drug abuse. I often told my friend that she was BLESSED because through her determination to go to school each day she overcame her situation. Even today when we see each other she still reflect on that time period in her life. I see that these stressors stay in your memory even after time moves on. The obstacles that my friend faced made her strong, but sadly others are not as strong. Their are so many children around the world, and right in our community dealing with many of these stressors such as, poverty, violence, chaos, any many other problems. Children are affected by theses adversities in a dramatic way. Without food , nourishment, and a safe home environment the body and mind will not function. I try to keep my friend story in mind when I encounter new children in my class. I pay close attention to their mental and physical status. I watch for a change in mood, like sleepy or tired and highly distractible. Many times when children face these situations it is hard for them to trust and feel safe so these stressors play a major role in the development of young children.

Public Health Issue

Mental Health Issues

I decided to look into Mental Health issues and how it affects mothers, fathers, and family members because this is a rising issue in the world today. Mental health problems can occur from numerous causes from marriage, loss of employment, and lack of support from family members. The most common type is postpartum depression which occurs after a mother gives birth. Some women experience mood changes after pregnancy. The feel upset, alone, or unloving toward their baby, and guilt for having these feelings. This can affect the entire family, but having their support, rest, and talking to other mothers can help new mothers when facing this issue.


This is a wide spread issue all over the world. When I researched this issue I found it interesting how people in other parts of the country deal with this issue. In the Chinese culture they use dietary practices to decrease postpartum depression. A common recommended practice is " ginger vinegar soup." This natural remedy is known to work for new mothers in this country. The information that I received from this topic will help me better understand how to assist family and friends with this issue if it ever occur.

Mental Health Links
http://www.edmedicinehealth.com/
http://www.nature.com/

MY PERSONAL CHILDBIRTH EXPERIENCE

Wow !! It has been 10yrs since I had the opportunity to experience childbirth. I am writing about my own child birthing experience because it was the moment that changed my life. I went from being a single lady to being a single mother, but I would not trade it for nothing.
My daughter was born on March 27, 2001. As I recall it was one of the most exciting, but fearful experiences of my life. I went a week and a half past my due date so my doctor decided to force my labor by using medication to induce my labor. After a few hours I began to feel contractions, and was later given an epidural. I was in labor for 16 hours, and the pain medication ran out, so I had my daughter some what natural. Holding my daughter in my arms for the first time and experiencing the miracle of birth made up for the 16 hours of labor and pain.
I thought it was fascinating to read about new mothers in the Philippines and how they practice skin-to-skin "kangaroo care." It is placing the infant in a vertical position under the parent's clothing, and the parent's body function as a human incubator. This is used to promote the survival and recovery of preterm babies. Although my daughter was a full term healthy baby, I felt a little insecure about allowing her to sleep alone in her crib so she slept on my chest or beside me during the early weeks of birth.