Earth Babies Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Spotlight’

Every year there is a breastfeeding awareness week where they focus on a specific theme/subject.

This years focus is on Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding .

This Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was launched by WHO & UNICEF in 1991 and started in South Africa in 1994. The first health facility to be declared Baby Friendly in South Africa was St. Monica’s Maternity Hospital in Cape Tow n in 1994. The next 2 were only listed in 1996 and The last listing by Unicef of Baby Friendly Hospitals in South Africa is from 2005 where the total listed was 176 (of about 480).

UNICEF recently noted that the reduction of child deaths from 13 million globally in 1990 to 8.8 million in 2008 is partly due to the adoption of basic health interventions such as early and exclusive breastfeeding. More and more studies have shown that implementation of the Ten Steps with continued postnatal support contributes to increased breastfeeding initiation and exclusive breastfeeding at the local, national and global levels.

Breastfeeding ♥ collage

Last years theme was The First Hour- in which focus fell on making the world aware of the global change that could be made in terms of child health and infant deaths if certain steps were taken within the first crucial hour after birth to assist babies and mothers in successful breastfeeding initiation. This information is still available on our site as even if the focus week has long past that information and initiative should be ongoing.

The World Breastfeeding Week site
Wikipedias listing on breastfeeding and it’s benefits

The subject of sex offenders against children has come up a few times in a matter of weeks, which has had me thinking deeper on the subject ongoing and evolving. I am not going to reinvent the wheel and retype things that have already been said but rather ask you to take a little time to read these blog posts and then I would love to hear what your thoughts on the subject are.

Jozikids – How much freedom should we give our kids
Harassed Mom – Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. (related to the 1st)
Kiddies Corner – Sex Offenders Registry

I have recently had it re-emphasised to me how easily our children can come in contact with a sex offender without our suspecting it. It is always said is most often someone you know and would not necessarily suspect – and this is very true (it is only after the fact with the new knowledge that you can say I should have known, but at the time all seems innocent).
We are often on the look out for the creepy person where it is the ‘normal’ person who is creepy.

Was reading an small article this morning in the GOLF magazine about Catriona Matthews a Scottish golfer – and before you are either impressed or think I am nuts, noooo I dont follow golf my husband showed me the article (which is a month old news – but new to me).

What is impressive – apart from that she can actually play golf – is that at 39 years of age (which many considered to old to be playing as well as she did) and a mere 10 weeks after giving birth to her second child she won her first Major championship at the Women’s British Open held at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s (on the 2nd of August 2009)… WOW!!!

Catriona Matthew with her trophy and her husband Graeme, her caddie

Though my second birth was a walk in the park I was definitely not up to a 3 day golf championship just 10 weeks later (okay who am I kidding I am not ever up to that).

articles:
Times Online
LPGA.com

Related to yesterdays blog about touch and bonding I came across this article about touch between teachers and pupils. It is a well written article that gets you thinking.

The importance of physical touch in a school environment

Would love to hear your thoughts on this subject, how do you feel about physical contact from your child’s educators … or lack thereof? Would a no contact rule be beneficial to our children or like me do you think that we would be damaging and disadvantaging our children in the long run all in the interest of keeping them safe from the risk of inappropriate touch.

I have always had a personal rule to trust my children’s innate instinct and to never force them to greet an adult they don’t want to. It is embarrassing at times and I have found myself being apologetic or trying to cover up what is perceived as rudeness but have recently again had this highlighted to me – if your child does not want to greet or have contact with an adult you need to respect that desire irrespective of who that person is – your child has their reasons and that instinct to stay away is what will keep them safe if you respect and nurture it.

Came across this by chance and thought to share it.

Did you know that children laugh on average 300 times a day compared to adults only laughing 15 times a day? Where did we lose the ability to laugh? Did we actually lose that ability? Laughing is a vital part of being happy in our lives, and it is something that is worthwhile making a conscious effort to do more of.

Read on to find out how children are teaching us adults how to be happy in life.