Childbirth in My Life and Around the World

My Personal Birthing Experience

Thirty years ago this year on December 5, 1983, I gave birth to my first child. I chose to share this personal birthing experience because it was a defining moment in my life into motherhood.  On a cold winter morning, a few hours after I woke up, my water broke.  I called my aunt, my birthing coach, and told her to meet me at the hospital.  After two hours of observation I was sent back home.  By 4 p.m. we were back at the hospital.  This time I was admitted because the contractions were too close together.  As I was being put on the monitor, the pain took my breath away with each contraction, but hearing her little heartbeat gave me the strength I needed to remain calm and stay focused.  I was dilating pretty quickly, so before they could place me on the birthing table, the doctor saw the crown of her head.  With two hard pushes my beautiful baby girl entered into this world.  As the nurse was cleaning her, I asked, “When can I get the shot of epidural”?  Her and my aunt looked at me and began to laugh.  My aunt said, “Sweetie, you didn’t need an epidural, you just had a natural childbirth.”   I still get emotional thinking about my first child birthing experience because as soon as they put her in my arms, she looked into my eyes and took to nursing like a duck takes to water.  

 Childbirth In Turkey

Childbirth in the European country of Turkey has recently changed from the past 20 or 30 years ago.  Fewer births are with midwives, but today most women favor ob-gyns.  Elective c-sections are the preference among Turkish women at private hospitals.  They do not have the choice of an epidural. Turkey has the one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Europe because doctors are untrained in administering obstetric anesthesia. Learning about child birthing in another country was very enlightening for me.  I wish birthing mothers everywhere can be afforded the opportunity to choose whatever method their heart desires without having to be in fear of dying. I am grateful for the medical practices that we have in the United States because during my birthing process I never had a fear of dying.

Reference:

http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/?page=6

 

A Note of Thanks and Support

Every time we remember to say thank you, we experience nothing less than heaven on earth.

- Sarah Ban Breathnach

 

 

 

Thank You!!!!!!!!

I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who encouraged and enlightened me during my first online course. Much thanks to Dana, Tabitha, Leslie, Sandra, Erica, and Anna. I learned about you and from you by reading your blogs over the last eight weeks. I wish you all the best as you continue your professional journey at Walden! I hope to work with you all again in future courses. You have made this learning experience wonderful for me.

 



Examining Codes of Ethics

As early childhood educators, we must uphold a standard that reflects our professionalism and genuine care for the young children and families we serve. To keep this at the forefront of our minds the NAEYC and DEC has complied a code of ethics. These codes outline the behaviors that early childhood professionals should display in an educational setting. Below, I have listed three ideals that are meaningful to me along with their significance to my professional life.

NAEYC

Ideal:
I-1.8- To support the right of each child to play and learn in an inclusive environment that meets the needs of children with and without disabilities.

Significance:
This ideal holds significance for me because it reminds me that children need opportunities to play even though early childhood education today emphasizes academics in the classroom. It supports my belief that play is beneficial to young children because it fosters language, social, and motor skills. Furthermore, it encourages meaningful relationships between young children.

Ideal:
I-1.9- To advocate for and ensure that all children, including those with special needs, have access to support services needed to be successful.

Significance:
This ideal is significant to me because it points out that all early childhood professionals should be involved in advocacy on some level. It also makes it very clear that all children deserve access to quality educational services. Children are the most vulnerable in our society and they need someone to speak on their behalf.

DEC

Ideal: Enhancement of Children's and Families' Quality of Lives:
1. We shall demonstrate our respect and concern for children, families, colleagues, and others with whom we work, honoring their beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture.

Significance:
This ideal has significance because it mentions how important it is to respect our colleagues' diversity just as we would young children and their families. Early childhood professionals should maintain a respectful disposition that is welcoming to everyone. This type of disposition allows for open and honest communication among colleagues and fosters meaningful relationships that are necessary for collaboration.
 

Resources for the Early Childhood Field

Resources are essential for every early childhood professional. There are a wealth of resources available to early childhood professionals that can improve their skills, increase their knowledge, and keep them abreast of current research and practices. Below I have provided a list of helpful resources that I plan to refer to as often as needed as I continue to serve young children and their families.

Position Statements and Influential Practices:

NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf

NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf

NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller

FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/FPG_Snapshot_N33_EvidenceBasedPractice_09-2006.pdf

Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.

Global Support For Children's Rights and Well-Being:

Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

Websites:

• World Forum Foundation
  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  Read about OMEP's mission.
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/

Early Childhood Organizations:

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/

The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/

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

Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85

FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/

Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/

HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/

Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/

Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/

Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org/

Institute for Women's Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/

National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/

National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/

National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/

Pre[K]Now
http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067

Voices for America's Children
http://www.voices.org/

The Erikson Institute

http://www.erikson.edu/


Professional Journals:

YC Young Children

Childhood

Journal of Child & Family Studies

Child Study Journal

Multicultural Education

Early Childhood Education Journal

Journal of Early Childhood Research

International Journal of Early Childhood

Early Childhood Research Quarterly

Developmental Psychology

Social Studies

Maternal & Child Health Journal

International Journal of Early Years Education

Additional Resources (Books):

• Henniger, M. L. (2005). Teaching young children (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
• Popham, W. J. (2005). Classroom assessment: What teachers need to know (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
• Rudolph, M. (1973). From hand to head: A handbook for teachers of preschool programs. St. Louis, MO: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

Below, I have listed several quotes that inspire and motivate me as an early childhood professional. These quotes lift my spirits in difficult times and encourage me to continue to pursue my professional goals. I hope that they offer you the same support they have given me over the years.


"Every 36 seconds, a child is neglected or abused; every 41 seconds, a baby is born into poverty; every 59 seconds, a baby is born without health insurance; every minute, a baby is born to a teen mother; and every three hours, a child is killed by gunfire. Those facts are not acts of God but a result of our moral and economic choices as a society. We can and must change them."

 

-Marian Wright Edelman





 

These 5 goals set by Itard the wild boy he named Victor can be viewed as the first individualized education plan (IEP) for special education: "To give the boy the ability to respond to other people. To train his senses. To extend his physical and social needs. To teach him to speak. To teach him to think clearly."

 

-Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard

 

"I always wanted to be a teacher.... I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution in the world and to fix all the injustices that existed in the world, and I wanted to do that through teaching."

 

-Louise Derman-Sparks

 

"We as professionals in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child's life for the better, and so that's what makes me passionate about this field."

 

-Sandy Escobedo

 

"Humility turns out to be quite different from humiliation, and the difference is largely up to you."

 

-Jim Schluy

 

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these."

 

-George Washington Carver 

 

 





My Personal Childhood Web

Below, I have listed several individuals who have contributed to the woman I am today. They all have had an impact on my personal and professional life. I truly appreciate every experience I was able to share with each one of them as a young girl.

1.     Vearlie E. is my maternal grandmother.  I practically lived with her until I was nine years old.  As a child I was always told that I “talked too much”.  But she was the only one that took the time to not only listen to me but also answer my many questions.  Our special time together every morning was eating breakfast together and her letting me take a sip of coffee from her cup.  We would then read the Bible and say a prayer for the day before I went off to school.  After school she always had a snack prepared for me and my brother before we started our homework. We cooked a lot of meals together too!  I was often told by others that I was spoiled because she spent so much time with me, but I can remember her saying, “No, she is being well loved.”  I was eleven years old when she passed away.  Forty years later it still seems like yesterday that I was combing her hair while she sat on the porch in her favorite chair.  I miss her more with each passing year because there is so much I wish I could share and talk with her about my life.  Today as I help to raise my grandson, I reflect upon how caring and loving she was to me.  I want to model her and give him that same feeling of security in our relationship.

2.   Sandra E. is my mother. I am her oldest child. She and my father divorced when I was four years old.  As a single parent she did her best to communicate to me and my brother that she had to work long hours to provide for us.  She stressed to us the value of an education.  She encouraged us to do our best and get good grades.  Math was a difficult subject for me, but if my test grade was a C, she celebrated with me as if I had gotten an A.  She set an excellent example for me as a young child when she went to college and earned her degree in nursing.  She has been a licensed RN for nearly forty years.  Recently, she has experienced some health issues.  I am her primary caregiver and it hasn’t been easy for her to accept my help.  Now the roles are reversed and she is the patient.  I will continue to do so because I truly appreciate the sacrifices she made for   me and helped me be the woman I am today.

3.   Doretha L. is my aunt. She was my favorite babysitter.  I loved everything about her.  I especially wanted to dress up in her jewelry and high heels.  She made my childhood fun.  We took long walks in the park, to the library, or to play at my friend’s house. She instilled the values of how to carry myself as a young lady.  She is still my role model and confidante.

4.   Michael E. is my uncle.   He was the father figure in my life.  He made me feel special because he would plan special dates for us to go to McDonald’s every Saturday,  gave me my lunch money , and paid me to keep his room clean.  I was very upset when he went away to college and cried myself to sleep at night for at least two weeks.  When he returned home he still kept our “special dates” and that meant the world to me.  He gave me the standard as to how I should be treated in a relationship with the opposite sex.  His teachings greatly influence the characteristics I look for in a mate.

5.   Ann M. was my elementary teacher and middle school Principal.  I thought she was the meanest woman in the world on our first day of class.  She required more than the norm in classwork and homework.   As I got older, only then could I appreciate the work load she was preparing me for in the future.  The most important thing I respected about her was telling me that I was born to be a leader and educator.  She planted the seed in me to be the change I want to see in the world.  She told me to find a cause in the world that would help someone and always care for the least of those in society.  When it was time for me to graduate from college she was the one to find me a scholarship.  To her memory my endeavor will be to complete my graduate degree with a specialization in Public Policy and Advocacy.

*To personalize my blog, I have added my personal childhood web at the bottom of my blog page as well.

All About Me

Favorite Quote/Poem

A Hundred Years From Now

…it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a CHILD

-Author Unknown

The name of my blog is actually based on this poem. This poem characterizes my desire to serve young children and their families. I love the work that I do in the early childhood field so much that I would do it for free! In the end, all that matters to me is that I had a positive effect on a child's life.

Favorite Children's Book

Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat

I love this book because it teaches parents how to encourage a child to have healthy eating habits.  Gregory is a goat that is a fussy eater.  He wanted to eat fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, bread, and butter. That was good stuff to him.  Mother Goat and Father Goat explain to Gregory those are not foods fit for goats to eat.  The parents decide to introduce one new food each day until he eats a proper diet as a goat.  Anyone that has encountered a picky eater will appreciate the moral of the story.

My Passion

Early childhood professionals who advocate for the field fuel my passion. I am inspired by leaders who make an effort to improve the field by encouraging equity and influencing policies. In particular, my passion for advocacy in the field is fueled by The Children's Defense Fund. The Children’s Defense Fund was founded by Marian Wright Edelman and is dear to my heart because it is a child advocacy organization that gives voice to all children in America.

*I have also placed this information on my blog page to personalize it:
My favorite Quote/Poem is located at the top of the page.
My favorite Children's Book is located on the right side of the page at the top.
My Passion is located on the right side of the page under my favorite children's book.