baby alabama
July/August/September 2014
contents www.albabymag.com
& child
PUBLISHER & EDITOR IN CHIEF Cecilia Pearson EDITOR AT LARGE LaTanya Bayles DESIGN Amy Heise Murphree EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Kim Hildenbrand Jane Longshore MARKETING / ONLINE CONTENT MANAGER Jamie Golden CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Anita Watford INTERNS Holland Bayles Gabrielle Barbee Lifestages Publishing Inc., Copyright 2004-2014. Lifestages Publishing Inc. publishes Alabama Baby & Child quarterly. All rights reserved. Reproduction in
features 18 22 28
Do-it-Yourself Nursery Design Breastfeeding Resource Guide Postpartum Depression
sections 06 08 12
Children’s Health Family Finances News & Notes
in every issue
whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Publisher assumes no liability for unsolicited art, photographs, manuscripts, or other material. Disclaimer: Statements and opinions expressed in Alabama Baby & Child are those
04 39
Editor’s Letter Family Event Picks
of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Lifestages Publishing Inc. Information provided should not be interpreted as medical instructions; editorial content is not intended as medical advice. Consult appropriate healthcare professionals prior to taking any action. Although great care has been taken in compiling and checking the information given in this publication to ensure accuracy, the authors, Lifestages Publishing Inc., and its servants or agents shall not be responsible or in any way liable for the continued currency of the information or for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this magazine, whether arising from negligence or otherwise or for any consequences arising therefrom. The appearance of an ad in Alabama Baby & Child does not constitute an endorsement of that product or service.
contact us LifeStages Media 130 Wildwood Pkwy. Suite 108-204 Birmingham, AL 35209 t. (205) 445-1345 www.albabymag.com www.babypaloozatour.com AlBabyMag.com 1
from the editor TEN YEARS AGO, when I told my friends I was launching a baby magazine, most of them seemed a little confused.
“You’re single,” I could see them thinking, “you don’t have children, and, as far as we know, you don’t even like children.” (Let me put that rumor to rest once and for all: I think children are OK.) I was drawn to the challenge because there wasn’t a glossy, newsstand, feature-style magazine for new and expectant parents in our community. A magazine where people like Sarah Bailey could share insights about her blog and coaching series (see page 10, where Julie Filo could talk about the nursery that she and her husband designed together (see page 18). Over the last decade, we’ve shared stories of triumph and loss, discovered a host of great local resources, and, most importantly, we’ve connected to each other. Connecting you to each other and the community remains our driving mission. We’ve continued to build resources to help support you in your parenting journey – they aren’t all where we want them to be but with your input they are improving every day. We now host Babypalooza (BabyPaloozaTour.com) in eight cities continue to add more locations, publish the annual family phone book as a time-saving reference (FamilyPhonePages.com), host a website to help plan exciting and unique birthday parties (Birthdays4Babies.com), get out into the community to meet our readers and fans at area events with the Kid Zone tent, and try to help new parents start one of the most exciting chapters in their lives with the Welcome Baby Kit (WelcomeBabyKit.com). Another important aspect of our mission is to support and celebrate our local and independent businesses. These business owners are our neighbors, parents like you with a passion for the community and what they do. They hand-select the items in their shops in order to offer their customers the very best products available, so as you head out to the shops this summer and as back-to-school arrives, please remember to SHOP LOCAL. None of what we do would be possible without the support of sponsors you see in the magazine, so if you like what we do please tell them thank you!
Until next time,
Cecilia “CC” Pearson
4 ALBabyMag.com
6
ALBabyMag.com
Baby Registry @ SwaddleOnline.com
8
ALBabyMag.com
AlBabyMag.com 9
10
ALBabyMag.com
AlBabyMag.com 11
12
ALBabyMag.com
AlBabyMag.com 13
14
ALBabyMag.com
You know the value of saving. Pass it on to your kids by enrolling them in the
America’s First Kids 1st Club.
The Kids 1st Club makes learning to save easy and fun! All children ages 0-18 that hold a minor share (savings) account are eligible for membership in the Kids 1st Club. As a Kids 1st Club member your child will receive a membership card, a Kids Club membership packet, and best of all, the ability to earn Honor Dollars.
For more information on the Kids 1st Club call 1.800.633.8431 Federally Insured By NCUA.
Available to qualifying members only. Certain restrictions apply.
AlBabyMag.com 17
18
ALBabyMag.com
AlBabyMag.com 19
20
ALBabyMag.com
AlBabyMag.com 21
22 ALBabyMag.com
AlBabyMag.com 23
24 ALBabyMag.com
AlBabyMag.com 25
when the sadness won’t leave
a
Facing Postpartum Depression
ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE BIRTH of her second child, Michelle Berry had a touch of the baby blues. She felt the pangs of sadness and weepiness many new moms experience when the excitement of pregnancy and childbirth give way to sleepless nights and mounds of diapers. She had been through those same emotions after her first baby. She figured she would give herself a week or two, and let her mind and body adjust to the new baby. Sure enough, a few weeks after giving birth she started feeling better. But a couple of months later, Michelle began to notice subtle changes in her mood and her demeanor. “I started snapping at my son for no reason,” she says. “Things gradually got worse. I couldn’t focus on anything. I couldn’t finish anything. I was paranoid and insecure. I would go from perfectly happy to bawling my eyes out or yelling. All I wanted to do was pack up my kids and go to the beach. I wanted to get away from everything that was normal. I really felt like I was losing it.” Over a period of weeks, instead of getting better, Michelle’s emotions became even more unpredictable. Finally, a talk with her best friend and her mom confirmed that she needed to seek help.
28 ALBabyMag.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION www.postpartum.net. An interesting site developed by Postpartum Support International (PSI). Loads of information on postpartum depression and more severe postpartum conditions like postpartum psychosis, postpartum postpartum panic panic disorder, disorder, postpartum postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder. disorder. Includes Includes the the latest latest information information on on postpartum research and contact numbers to find postpartum support groups in in your your area.www.webmd.com. area.www.webmd.com. Look Look for for the the postpartum depression checklist. It allows you to walk through your symptoms and discover if you or someone you love may be suffering from postpartum depression.
AlBabyMag.com 29
p e e s r d s Michelle began to notice subtle changes in her mood and her
PINPOINTING POSTPARTUM Michelle’s story is not unusual. In fact, between 15 to 20 percent of new mothers will experience postpartum depression, an illness defined as a major depression that occurs anywhere from one week to one year after childbirth (it can also occur after a miscarriage or a stillbirth). Symptoms of postpartum depression can be similar to the more common baby blues (see sidebar), but with postpartum, symptoms typically linger for weeks without getting any better. Sadness begins to turn to hopelessness, and emotional highs and lows escalate. Women with postpartum may develop sleeping problems, loss of appetite, irritability, lack of pleasure in everyday activities, and a lack of focus. “A woman who is experiencing postpartum depression won’t see anything that can improve her mood,” says Michael O’Hara, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Iowa. So nothing, not even alleviating some of the more frustrating aspects of being a new mom, like getting more sleep or spending more time with their spouse, can pull them out of the depression. The causes of postpartum depression are as varied as the symptoms. Changes in hormones, genetic or biological predisposition to depression, stressful circumstances, or, more likely, a combination of those factors can result in a bout with postpartum illness. There’s no one-size-fits-all diagnosis for postpartum, nor is there a definite predictor of those who will experience the illness. “Postpartum depression is a very
30 ALBabyMag.com
individual condition,” says Dr. O’Hara. “There’s no one uniform set of causes. A variety of things can bring it on.” Looking back, Michelle realizes her depression was a combination of multiple stressors and genetics. “I had a colicky baby who cried probably 16 hours out of the day. Added to that, we moved into a new house, and my husband quit his job and opened up a new business. So I was left alone with an almost three year old and an unhappy newborn in a new house in a new neighborhood with stacks of boxes to unpack. It was overwhelming. And after discussing my condition with my mom, I discovered I also had a family history of depression that goes back three generations— something I never knew before my own struggle.”
FINDING THE SILVER LINING Like many women, it took Michelle a few weeks to realize what she was experiencing was indeed postpartum depression. Because the illness happens during a season of life that should be full of joy, women who suffer from postpartum depression often try to deny it, or experience guilt for being depressed, which can send women into an even deeper depression. Michelle knows she was blessed to have people who noticed something was wrong, “I’m so thankful I had friends and family who cared enough to tell me to get help,” she says. “I hate to think what would’ve happened if I hadn’t gotten help when I did.”
sion
IS IT MORE THAN THE BLUES? About 80 percent of women will experience some form of the baby blues. Baby blues typically hit about a week after giving birth. Symptoms may last for as long as three weeks, but, with the blues, these symptoms gradually get better.
Typical baby blues symptoms are: • Moodiness • Weepiness • Anxiety • Lack of focus • Feelings of helplessness
demeanor. “I started snapping at my son for no reason.” One in eight women will experience postpartum
After she realized how serious her depression was, Michelle chose to talk to her obstetrician who recommended she take an antidepressant for six months to a year. “I was very unsure about taking medication,” she says. “But I had to do something. So my husband and I prayed and felt comfortable with going on medication for a time. Within a week or two I started feeling like myself again.” Just as with the causes of postpartum depression, there is no one-treatment-fits-all approach to healing. Many women, like Michelle, choose to fight their depression with medication. Some choose to seek help from a counselor or a psychologist or psychiatrist. “Psychological intervention like counseling and psychotherapy are very good alternatives to medications,” says Dr. O’Hara. “This type of treatment is particularly good for women who can identify something specific that may be contributing to their depression, like trouble with a spouse, or problems adjusting to being a parent.” And for some women, a combination of medication and counseling is the best option. The bottom line is to seek help. “Admitting the problem is so important. If you think there is something wrong, if you just don’t feel like yourself, get help, don’t wait,” says Michelle. “Seek out an objective person, a pastor, a counselor, your OB, someone you trust to listen and give you sound information. I never, ever thought I would be facing depression, but I'm so thankful I got help when I needed it.”
depression. These symptoms don't let up over time and may even tend to worsen as the weeks pass.
Typical symptoms include: • Extreme worry and anxiety about parenthood, the baby, etc. • Irritability • Finding it hard to make decisions • Inappropriate or excessive guilt • Being extremely self-critical • Feelings of hopelessness • Sleep problems and fatigue • Physical aches and pains without apparent physical cause • Trouble bonding with your baby • Trouble concentrating and focusing • General lack of interest in pleasurable activities • Changes in eating habits; marked weight loss or gain • In some cases, thoughts of hurting yourself or the baby
AlBabyMag.com 31
AlBabyMag.com 33
34 ALBabyMag.com
AlBabyMag.com 35
IT’S NOT JUST THE BEACH. IT’S THE BEACH CLUB.
You don’t have to get on a plane to take your family to a world-class beach resort. The Alabama Gulf Coast’s only full-service beachfront resort, the Beach Club, is only a short drive away. In addition to the 86 acres of natural beauty and private beaches spanning the length RI QHDUO\ Ă&#x;YH IRRWEDOO Ă&#x;HOGV WKH %HDFK &OXE ERDVWV QXPHURXV DPHQLWLHV LQFOXGLQJ D IXOO VHUYLFH VSD WZR UHVWDXUDQWV VFHQLF ZDONLQJ WUDLOV WHQQLV FRXUWV Ă&#x;YH pools and numerous daily activities.
Call today and ask about the Spectrum Advantage.
TheBeachClub.SpectrumResorts.com 866-890-4296
AlBabyMag.com 39
Ƈ Vʜ ʟ FL O Rʟ ʟ ʜ FL S ʟ YL ʝ ʜ ʟ ʜ ʝ ʜ ąʜ =
ʜ ʟ ʟ ʜ ʟ ʟʜ Lʝ L L ʟ L ʟ ʝ ʜ ʝ
ʜ ʟ ʝ = #ʝʜ FL ʝ ʜ ʜʟ L ʟ ʟ L ʜʟ ʜ L ʝ ʜ ʜ ʜLL L L ʝ ʜL ʜ ʟ ʟ ʝ ʜ ʟ ʝ ʜ ʝ ʜ = ʜ L F ʟ L ʝ ʜ L < = Z ʟ ʟ 8L L ʝ ʜ ʟ L ʜ ʟ=
HEALTH SYSTEM stvhs.com
ʝ ʜ ʟ L ʜ ʟ