Bringing up baby: Family Advocacy is here to help

[The Patriot]

Bringing up baby: Family Advocacy is here to help

08-26-2010 02:22 AM

ShareThis Published:
Thu, 2010-08-26 10:13


Bringing up baby: Family Advocacy is here to help


Heather Joy


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Parents and expectant parents can find assistance with those sometimes overwhelming questions at the 48th FW MDOS Family Advocacy office located in the RAF Lakenheath hospital annex. Courtesy Photo






Bringing up baby: Family Advocacy is here to help

Heather Joy

New parents or those about to be can find themselves confused, overwhelmed and looking for answers. Since babies don’t come with easy to read instruction manuals the 48th Fighter Wing MDOS Family Advocacy offers several programs for parents and parents-to-be that can help them navigate some of the obstacles and celebrate the joys of those first few years.
The new parent support program is primarily for those about to be new moms and for moms that have children less than three years of age and includes home visits, according to Barbara Wright, Family Advocacy nurse.
Wright explains that under the new parent support program there are also some classes available from family advocacy that help answer questions like what to do when you bring the baby home from the hospital and do you wake the sleeping baby to feed him/her. The Baby Basics class which is open to expectant parents and parents with babies 0 - 12 months and discusses subjects including basic infant care, how to bond with the baby, coping with crying, sleeping patterns , breast feeding and shakin baby syndrome.
Wright recommends that expectant parents take this class towards the end of the pregnancy and encourages both parents attendance.
For expectant fathers who may not feel comfortable asking potentially explosive questions like, “why are women so weird during pregnancy and hormones cause what?” there is the Dad’s class which is for men only and is taught by other dads.
“This is men talking to other men about what it is to be a dad, what it is to be a father,” explains Wright.
Some of the class topics include baby basics, calming a crying baby, fatherhood, gender stereotypes and supporting moms during pregnancy and delivery. This class also reviews why breastfeeding is important and how men can help their spouses with breastfeeding.
“We are always looking for dads to help us teach,” adds Wright.
Parent’s questions and concerns don’t disappear after their child turns one so family advocacy also offers a toddler taming workshop for parents of children 12 – 36 months. The toddler class focuses on potty training, development, positive discipline and how to deal with the early refusal stage, which according to Wight is when your child only seems to know one word “no”.
While the workshops may only be a couple of hours to a day in length, family advocacy has many resources at their fingertips to provide parents with more assistance.
To sign up for a class or for more information regarding any of family advocacy’s new parent support programs call 01638 52 8070 or DSN: 226-8070 or e-mail 48MDOS.SGOHF@lakenheath.af.mil.









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