29Dec 2023 by Sarah Glenn
IBCLC VS LC: What’s the Difference?

IBCLC VS LC: What’s the Difference?

Breastfeeding, Health, Work
Historically, women would look to their mom, sister, aunt, friend or grandma for support through pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and child rearing.  Since formula made its debut in the mid to late 1800s, less and less women have been breastfeeding.   By the 1970’s only 1 in 5 women were attempting to breastfeed.  Sadly, those who did breastfeed were outcast by their peers and doctors.  These mothers would hide their parenting style as if it were a “bad” thing to do.  Finally, a feminist group in Chicago, Illinois noticed the need to support mothers who wish to breastfeed in 1956.  The seven founders began private meetings for mother to mother support, open to anyone who wished for breastfeeding information.   This group is still in existence today and is called La Leche League;…
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29Dec 2023 by Sarah Glenn
Twas’ the Day After Christmas

Twas’ the Day After Christmas

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Twas' the day after Christmas, and all through the scene, not a creature was stirring, not even a teen. Wrapping paper strewn all over the floor in hopes that ma would not walk through the door. The midnight snack was left out overnight, sticky and spilled, ma was not thrilled. Pa in his work clothes and I in my bathrobe, preparing the inquisition, we set out on our mission. When out on the porch, there arose such a clatter, I ran to ask the Fed Ex man, what was the matter. Away to the truck, he shot in a flash; and returned with a gift that should've been cash. The moon on the window, so shiny and clean, brought darkness and beauty to the once snowy scene. When what to…
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29Dec 2023 by Sarah Glenn
Establishing Family Traditions

Establishing Family Traditions

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When considering establishing family traditions, examine the essence you are trying to bring out for the long haul. What do you want your little ones to gain from these rituals? How will your values affect the child as they grow-up? Our youngest (13) has recently admitted that she's known about the lack of a Santa a few years now. We weren't naive, we knew, but it was our last baby and hard to swallow the thought that Christmas would change forever. It is more fun to enjoy the looks of surprise on the little one's faces throughout the holiday season, but now we can come clean about all the mishaps through the past celebrations and have a good laugh. My older adult kids have already passed on the tradition of…
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26Dec 2023 by Sarah Glenn
3 Tips for Safe Video Gaming for Kids

3 Tips for Safe Video Gaming for Kids

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It’s an undeniable fact: Kids love video games and here we will provide 3 tips for safe video gaming. While we want our children to enjoy the things they’re interested in, we also want them to be safe and engage in healthy, age-appropriate behaviors. Parenting expert Sarah shares three tips on how to encourage safe video game playing habits with your kids. 1. Tips for Safe Video Gaming Research Video games have a rating for a reason. As with movies, the broad range of video games runs the gamut from appropriate for toddlers to made strictly for adults. Before purchasing or allowing your child to play, check the rating to ensure it’s a good fit for your child’s age and maturity. The Entertainment Rating Software Board provides ratings for video…
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23Dec 2023 by Sarah Glenn
Santa’s Lap Shenanigans

Santa’s Lap Shenanigans

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The line for the Santa's lap shenanigans in this small, unpopular mall was around the corner six days before Christmas. I counted 87 people in line, give or take a few kids running in and out of the line; most of them would not be sitting on Santa's lap. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teens, friends all came out to see little Susie's reaction to the jolly old man in red. Many children in line had been there over an hour already, and you can see the kids getting close to Santa were having a hard time holding themselves together. By the time this particular family reached the "prize," one of the three munchkins in tow had an all-out meltdown. High-decibel screaming, real tears, throw himself on the floor, temper tantrum…
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23Dec 2023 by Sarah Glenn
A Time for Reflection

A Time for Reflection

Health, Life, Parenting, Relationships
My thirties were a time for reflection. Learning about oneself can be quite eye-opening. Follow my journey to understand all of me. Some parts are so ingrained it may take a complete remodel. Many good and bad things came to pass. It was the first time I experienced a close family member die (my husbands’ grandmother and I were very close). I also learned my mom and stepfather had cancer. It was also the first time I was not pregnant or nursing in 10 years. As well as the beginning of a new millennium, and I started to “find” myself. My thirties were the flowering of who I am. The child in me was finally growing up. Sort of! Evolving I stopped blaming my mother for my happiness and past; I…
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20Dec 2023 by Sarah Glenn
So, You’ve Decided to Exclusively Pump

So, You’ve Decided to Exclusively Pump

Breastfeeding, Infants, Life, Parenting, Pregnancy, Work
So, you've decided to exclusively pump because you know that it is healthiest for you and baby. Exclusive pumping means the mother has decided to put her breastmilk into a bottle and feed it to her baby, exclusively. For one reason or another, she decided not to put the baby to the breast for his feedings. Exclusively pumping or "eping", is a full-time commitment and takes good planning. For some moms, this is not how she pictured breastfeeding to happen and pumping is her last resort after many days/weeks of trying to latch her baby properly.  For other moms, this is a choice and she always imagined herself only pumping and bottle-feeding breastmilk.  Or maybe the choice was made for the mom, for example, her or the baby have been…
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19Dec 2023 by Sarah Glenn
The Many Uses of Breastmilk

The Many Uses of Breastmilk

Breastfeeding, Health, Infants, Pregnancy
The many uses of breastmilk may surprise you! It was eye-opening for my family. My then 14-year-old daughter worked in a pizza parlor and dropped a whole pie on her hand, cheese side down! FYI, the oven temperature was 500 degrees. This was bad, VERY bad but we managed to heal her burn with breastmilk swabs on her hand for a week--nothing else! She is 27 now and there is no evidence of this fiasco. Thankfully, she did not need skin grafts or other medication, breastmilk did the trick. The proof is in the pudding (or milk). We were sold and have been ever since. The many uses of breastmilk are likely to help alleviate the dilemma of throwing away any forgotten bags in the freezer. Or help a mom…
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19Dec 2023 by Sarah Glenn
Finding Your Parenting Style

Finding Your Parenting Style

All, Kids, Parenting, Relationships
Have you been unsuccessful at finding your parenting style? Are you concerned about the Best or Right way to parent your baby, child, or children? Are you struggling with discipline? Do you take a particular approach to mother or fathering and have a bad feeling? Do you force yourself to follow the parenting fad of the times (sleep training, time outs, cell phone rules, etc.)? These questions and many more are a fact of life as parents. From hour to hour, day to day, and child to child, we are forever skeptical in our parenting decisions. At one time or another, we’ve challenged, argued & possibly defended many other parents, including our own to unravel the complex befuddlement that having children bring. Matter of fact, since the techno era, half our time is…
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18Dec 2023 by Sarah Glenn
Life’s Lessons

Life’s Lessons

Life, Parenting, Relationships
Life's lessons from teenager to adult can become confusing. Single parenting is nothing to sneeze at, especially with an 8-month-old baby. Finding a job I could bring my baby to was not easy, but it worked itself out. I kept my medical assisting job on weekends when my ex had my daughter, but I didn't trust anyone else to watch her except a few close friends. Even my mom, who lived 40 miles away, couldn't help me out, so bringing my baby to work was a must. Co-parenting was not easy at all. There is this grieving process that everyone goes through when you end a relationship, and it can make for a bitter divorce. We tried hard to give my daughter the best of both worlds, but eventually, we…
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