It is A Bump in the Road's mission to provide resources, education, and support to women traveling the path of parenthood. Group meetings will be held twice a month, location and date are yet to be determined. I am hopeful to have A Bump in the Road up and running in Golden by June 2010.

*Meetings in Durango will continue on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month and postpartum meetings will be held on the 3rd Wednesday of every month.

A new website will be launched soon...In the meantime, a lot of great information can be found right here on the current site. By June, each community will have it's own calendar and sponsoring businesses in each region will be able to be easily accessed through the site!

If you are interested in being a sponsor, a speaker, or a participant— please sign up for the newsletter or e-mail me at brenda@durangobumpintheroad.com

Be Well,

Brenda

Together, the women in centering programs get to:

• Build community with other pregnant women
• Learn self-care skills
• Get assurance about the progression of their pregnancy
• Gain knowledge about pregnancy, birth, post partum, and parenting,
• Have improved perinatal outcomes.

The benefits are endless! Some include:

• Increased gestational age (i.e, full term babies)
• Increased birth weight
• Increased success with breastfeeding
• Psychosocial Benefits Include:
• Increased prenatal knowledge
• Decreased prenatal distress
• Increased preparedness for labor and delivery
• Increased readiness for infant care
• Increased happiness with prenatal care.
• Decreased preterm birth.  Irregardless of age, socioeconomics, education, etc.

Over the last century, Preterm birth rates have significantly increased. Preterm birth is when a baby is born at or before 37 weeks; 34-36 weeks is characterized as late-preterm. The reasons are relatively elusive/unknown but some ideas include- increased utilization of reproductive technology and multifetal gestations. Adverse outcomes of preterm birth can include: neonatal and infant deaths, childhood neurological disability, prolonged hospitalization, increased cost, and adverse developmental consequences that can last a lifetime.

Groups provide a dynamic atmosphere for learning and sharing that is impossible to create in a one-to-one encounter; therefore, the patient gains a lot more during these meetings.  “Hearing other women share concerns which mirror my own helped me normalize my experience,” says Brenda Armstrong, owner and participant of A Bump in the Road, a value-added support group in Durango, CO.  A Bump in the Road doesn’t provide “prenatal care” or teach “self-care” techniques; however, A Bump is bringing local practitioners and pregnant women together. Local practitioners present on a variety of topics bimonthly at group meetings to women considering having children, women who are currently pregnant, and to new mothers.  The mix offers validation for everyone in the group. A Bump in the Road provides education, support, and resources for women traveling the path to parenthood.  “We are gaining a greater knowledge of the process while at the same time, we’re building community and learning from each other,” states Armstrong.

Groups also are empowering as they provide support to the members and also increase individual motivation to learn and change. Professionals report that groups provide them with renewed satisfaction in delivering quality care as well. Seek out a support group or a centering program in your area. If you are in Durango, CO San Juan Basin Health Department offers a complete “Centering Pregnanacy” program. For more information, contact Hannah at SJBHD at (970) 247-5702, Ext. 202.

Author: Brenda Armstrong, Owner/Founder A Bump in the Road

The part I did love was the following: We had a TV and a phone--so 1 hr. of TV/day, and 10 min phone call limit. That was the extent of our electronic stimulation guidelines.  Kids played outside on their own, and we called home, as were the other neighborhood children, by a gong or a bell.  This was usually only at mealtimes, which were a regular daily event attended by all members of the family.  Hauling kids around to practices and classes was kept to a minimum--mostly because I hated driving, but also because free time was deemed an important component of growing up.  I was lucky to be able to be a stay at home mom and fully share those growing years.

I realize that most of these freedoms are impossible today with both parents working and with the complexities of life on the street and in the schools.  Either way--raising kids is a treat!

Author: Janet Armstrong, Mother of Three, Grandmother of Three

Eating Right Before You Are Pregnant

Eating right before you get pregnant, is one of the best ways to improve your chances of conception.  Given the most critical days for human development are the first few days post conception, a properly balanced and nutritious diet before you are pregnant can help to ensure implantation and a healthy pregnancy. Another benefit, you probably won’t know you are pregnant until 6-8 weeks into pregnancy, eating right for yourself will provide your growing baby with good nutrition right from the start.

A healthy, balanced diet includes controlled portions of fresh veggies, fruit, whole grains, dairy products, and lean protein. Professionals recommend minimizing saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugar as well. Being healthy also means getting adequate exercise. If you don’t exercise regularly, talk to your health care provider, they’ll provide you with tools and referrals to help you get started.

A few things to include in your diet:

Prenatal Vitamins- Get into the routine of taking a daily supplement before you are inundated with all the baby stuff.  It’s a sensible way to provide you and your baby with key nutrients especially if your current eating habits are poor, or if you are experience morning sickness when you become pregnant. Evidence shows that prenatal vitamins may also lower the risk of childhood cancers like leukemia (Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics).

Folic Acid- Since Folic Acid was added to cereals, the rates of serious- even fatal- birth defects has decreased. Loading up on Folic Acid before pregnancy and during, can reduce your chance of delivering a baby with neural tube defects and other serious defects to the spine or brain by 50%. Food sources of folic acid include legumes, dark leafy green veggies, citrus fruits, and whole wheat bread.

Omega-3’s- Essential fatty acids, DHA and EPA are commonly found in fish. Omega-3’s are essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the human body. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food or supplemented by vitamins.

Zinc- This trace mineral plays a huge role in reproductive health. It helps with ovulation and fertilization in women and maintains correct semen level and testosterone levels in men.

Chasteberry- Talk to your physician about Chasteberry before taking this herb.  It has been indicated in at least one study to help regulate ovulation and resolve hormonal imbalances. However, if you suspect you might be pregnant, stop taking this herb at once. This herb should NOT be taken during pregnancy or breastfeeding!

Durango, CO (February 17, 2010)- Beginning March 2, 2010, A Bump in the Road and Liv MacKenzie, MA, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), will offer a five week Mental and Physical Wellness course for new moms. Over the course of the five week session, Liv MacKenzie, MA, LPC, will facilitate collective discussion exploring topics such as: common barriers to achieving your goals, creating goals/boundaries, developing a support team, emotional eating, mommy guilt, and nurturing oneself.

Many women find that when they become a mother for the first time there are unanticipated challenges that arise in addition to the miracle of the motherhood experience. The collective goal for course participants is to nurture positive emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness. The group format will allow for group support and unique understanding, as all participants are walking the path of motherhood.

Sessions include: two weekly meetings - one fifty-minute group discussion on Tuesdays at 10am at Liv MacKenzie’s office (766 Main Ave. St 201, Durango); the other will be group exercise, journaling, and meditation time/day tbd by group. Cost for 10 classes is $60 and prepayment is required. Class size is limited, for more information and to register, please call 970-779-8556.

Liv MacKenzie, MA, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 10 years of clinical experience. Liv has a general private practice, in which she counsels adolescents, college students, families and women of all ages. She especially enjoys working with women who are experiencing major life transitions and specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of maternal anxiety and depression. www.livmackenzie.com

While the APA recommends a minimum of six months, any amount of time that you can do it will help both you and your baby. Breastfeeding isn't the only option for feeding your baby; however, every mother has the potential to succeed and make it a wonderful experience!

Babycenter.com lists the following benefits.

Breastfeeding your baby:

• protects your baby from gastrointestinal trouble, respiratory problems, and ear  infections
• can protect your baby from developing allergies.
• may boost your child's intelligence
• may protect against obesity later in life
• may protect your baby from childhood leukemia
• may protect your baby from developing type 1 diabetes
• may protect preemies from infections and high blood pressure later in life
• may lower your baby's risk of SIDS

For Mom, Breastfeeding:

• helps you lose weight (but don’t cut your daily calorie intake/diet)
• can lower your stress levels and reduce postpartum bleeding
• may reduce your risk of some types of cancer
• may protect against osteoporosis later in life

In the workplace, employers are even recognizing the benefits to the working mother. The Office on Women’s Health in the US Department of Health and Human Services notes that breastfeeding reduces costs to employers due to lower health care costs, de-creased absenteeism, enhanced productivity, improved employee satisfaction, and a better corporate image. Employers are creating the space and time for employees to pump milk or feed their baby. If you are going back to work, be sure to communicate with your employer, they may be very open to the idea.

If you are having difficulties with breastfeeding, there are services that can help:

Joy Kanevski, Certified Lactation Consultant - Joy of Life Family Medicine

La Leche League- meets at the Family Center on the first Monday of every month.

Mercy Regional Medical Center- free consultations at the Birthing Center.

I wanted to use cloth diapers for my baby from the beginning for so many reasons: Disposables are expensive, for I’s first month, we spent nearly $70 on diapers; disposables leak, we went through 9-12 diapers a day, maybe I is a heavy wetter... maybe they just didn’t hold it all; disposables create excess waste, our landfills are so full already; disposables are paper products, environmentally, I wanted to be doodooful in reducing my diaper footprint!

My husband wasn’t so excited about the upfront cost of cloth diapers, but today, he’s a Cloth Diaper Fanatic too. They’re easy, their is less to clean up, and you are sparing the environment one diaper at a time.  When I was researching cloth diapers, I found a hundred different diapers- all claiming they were the best. So, I opted to purchase a few different kinds to decide for myself which ones worked “the best!”  We bought 2 BumGenius3.0 One-Size, 6 SwaddleBee Cloth Diapers, 1 Clover Fitted Diaper, 1 Happy Heiny Fitted Diaper, 2 Wonder Wraps, 2 Happy Heiny’s All-In-One, 2 Fuzzibunz One Size, and 2 Kushies Ultra Lights. Oh and I purchased a Swimmi too (for the pool). For 16 diapers, our investment totaled just about $320.00  I’m happy to report the following:

1. BumGenius 3.0 are The Best- Because they are so great, we save them for the night time. If I were to do it again- I’d purchase the Organic All-In-One Package- 18 diapers and everything you need for $437- at Kelly’s Closet.  This will easily last you through potty training! Beats roughly $1800 in the cost of disposables!
2. Chinese Prefold Cloth Diapers with the Wonder Wraps are my second favorite. Once you get the fold right (down in the front for boys, down in the back for girls) you are good to go!  I also use the Clover fitted diaper and the Happy Heiny’s fitted diaper with the Wonder Wraps.
3. Fuzzibunz- I like these, but we have had a few leaks- might be repelling d/t some recent diaper rash.
4. Happy Heiny’s- we go back and forth with these. The velcro on the front is a little cumbersome and if they aren’t sized right, they will leak. (Don’t go up to the next size too quick!)
5. Kushies Ultra Lights- if I could send these back.... I would! Therefor, I only use these when I know I can change him in an hour!
6. The Bummis Swimmi is great... we just took I in the hot tub. Besides him being so cute in this little tiny swimi, it did a great job of holding in the yuk!

With 16 diapers, we do one load of diapers every other day!  This usually allows us to get through two full days, two full nights, and one morning pretty easily. I’m sure you are saying- but that is a lot of water.... I agree. However, we have a High Efficiency washer that does a great job and infact, we only run them through on extra hot once! Drying the prefolds takes a little longer, but once the sun is out, we’ll use the line (more savings!). Plus, the sun is a natural whitener- it will help to get out those yucky stains.

A few of my friends are also using cloth diapers and loving them! Their favorites include: Motherease Diapers, Kushies Wraps, Bumkins, and Thirsties. Two I want to try are GroBaby and Econobum!  Do you cloth diaper?  What are the pros and cons of CD-ing in your house? If you haven’t tried it, many diapers offer Getting Started Packages too. Or even- a 21 day trial, no obligations only $10. Check em out...  You just might love them, and your baby’s bum definitely will!

During this time, many developmental milestones are reached in terms of cognitive, visual, and motor development.  It is essential that high quality nutrition be supplied to the fetus, infant, and growing young child.  This includes the omega-3, essential fatty acids, DHA and EPA commonly found in fish. Omega-3’s are essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the human body. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut, other marine life such as algae and krill, certain plants (including purslane), and nut oils. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development.

What’s So Fishy about eating fish? You might think that eating more fish would be a simple, natural way to get more omega-3. However, due to increased mercury pollution caused by coal burning power plants, the levels of mercury in fish are getting dangerously high. The FDA has issued advisories that limit the amount of fish that is safe for a pregnant woman to consume. Specifically, large "predator" type fish such as swordfish, (fresh) tuna, shark, and mackerel are not considered safe for pregnant women and should not be consumed. Canned "light" tuna is OK in moderation (6-12oz/week).

Fortunately, there are now easy ways to supplement a pregnant woman's diet with this essential nutrient. A safer alternative to eating fish may be vitamin supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to the fish oil capsules sold in health food stores, at least two brands of pre-natal vitamins contain omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids are also available in some types of infant formula. For breast-feeding mothers, supplementation would be recommended so the nutrients can pass to the baby in the breast milk

Mercury is a potent neural toxin, and may be responsible for cognitive delays and other types of brain damage. Developing babies are the most vulnerable to this type of toxin. However, research on the safety of fish consumption continues, but evidence clearly shows that EPA and DHA are vital to the development of your baby’s brain.  Consult your doctor or midwife about how much of the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA you should be getting through diet (salmon, tuna, and halibut) or supplementation (Fish Oil, Seaweed, and Krill).