WEST CENTRAL OHIO
HEALTH MINISTRIES PROGRAM
NETWORK NEWS - August 2008
Food for Thought
When you say, “I can’t solve this,” God tells you, “I will direct your path.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
When you say, “It’s impossible,” God tells you, “Everything is possible.” (Luke 18:27)
When you say, “I feel all alone,” God tells you, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
When you say, “I don’t deserve forgiveness,” God tells you, “I have forgiven you.” (1 John 1:9 - Romans 8:1)
When you say, “I am afraid,” God tells you, “Do not fear, for I am with you; I will strengthen you and help you.” (Isaiah 41:10)
When you say, “I am tired,” God tells you, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
When you say, “No one really loves me,” God tells you, “I love you.” (John 3:16—13:34)
When you say, “I don’t know how to go on,” God tells you, “I will show you the path.” (Psalm 32:8)
And when you want to know everything else that God wants to tell you, read the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:15-17)
Community Information
World Breastfeeding Week
World Breastfeeding Week is August 1-7. As we prepare to celebrate the 2008 Olympics, Allen County WIC, along with the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Actions calls for increased support for mothers striving to achieve a golden start for their children. Breastfeeding provides the best possible start to life in all areas of development. With breastfeeding, everyone wins!
An Olympic athlete needs support from family, friends, community and sponsors in order to compete successfully. Breastfeeding mothers also need support. Both an athlete and a breastfeeding mother face challenges. For a breastfeeding mother, one of the most important challenges is overcoming her doubts about her ability to breastfeed her baby. Belief in oneself is a key ingredient for success. Health professionals, hospital staff, trained peer counselors, friends and family can all offer support. Mothers deserve:
Empathetic listening
Basic, accurate and timely information
Skilled and practical help
Encouragement
“Once the decision to breastfeed has been made, we must provide a supportive environment that helps a mother believe in herself,” says Polly Kirian, RN, CLC, WIC Peer Supervisor. “Ultimately, our whole society benefits from having healthier mothers, babies and children when breastfeeding is supported.”
The support a mother receives can be as formal as a visit to a health care professional or as informal as a reassuring smile from another mother. WIC supports breastfeeding mothers with education and encouragement, peer counseling, nutrition education and nutritious foods for women who qualify for the program.
The Allen County WIC Program and the Lima City Parks and Recreation Division are co-sponsoring a walk to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. The celebration walk will be held on Saturday, August 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Faurot Park Shelter House #2 at the corner of N. Shore Dr. and Woodlawn Ave. The walk is free and open for the public to come and show their support for breastfeeding mothers. Door prizes will be raffled off, and educational material will be available. For more information about the walk or breastfeeding, call Jenny, Polly or Lori at the Allen County WIC office at 419-224-8200.
FYI
Soothing Your Child after a Nightmare
Nightmares, bad dreams occurring several hours into sleep, may make your child cry out, shiver, run to you for comfort or fear going back to sleep. Though children ages 4 to 6 may be especially prone to them, nightmares can occur as early as age 2. Toddlers might dream about losing their way or facing danger without their parents around to help. Nightmares are troubling for parents who are seeing their child experience them for the first time, as well as for the child who cannot understand that the dreams are not real.
If your child is experiencing nightmares:
Don’t ignore the situation by simply telling your child to go back to bed.
Do listen to and comfort your child. Create rituals that reassure. Sing a lullaby, rock him, turn on a nightlight and, if necessary, check under the bed.
Do pay attention to things going on in your child’s life. Sometimes nightmares are more disturbing and happen more often when a child is under stress. An addition to the family or the death of a friend or relative can be especially stressful to a toddler, who can’t accurately perceive the situation.
Nightmares should not be confused with night terrors which also occur in toddlers and preschoolers and can be even more frightening for parents. Night terrors happen during the deepest stages of sleep, usually within an hour or so after a child falls asleep. During a night terror, a child is unresponsive and might have a racing heartbeat and rapid breathing. A toddler might thrash around and babble. As she gets older, she may scream. Since night terrors occur during a stage of sleep when there is no dreaming, the child will have no memory of the terror.
If your child is experiencing night terrors:
Remain calm. Night terrors are more frightening for the parent than for the child.
Don’t touch, speak to or try to wake your child. He is more likely to go back to sleep, if he isn’t aroused.
Move objects that may hurt her if she is moving around. If she tries to get out of bed, gently restrain her.
Make sure that your child gets adequate rest during naps and at night.
Parenthood.com