Babies & Families A Special Section of the Addison Independent, Monday, February 29, 2016
Baby’s first month Parents discuss highs and lows
By JOHN S. McCRIGHT MIDDLEBURY — The world welcomed Riley Jacob Harrington on Jan. 15. He was a beautiful baby boy, all that a happy mother and father could hope for. And then the hard work began. His mother and father, Anna and Justin Harrington of Middlebury, anticipated both the joys of parenthood and the challenges. After a month, the reality of being parents had sunk in and, after seeing their world turned upside down by the presence of a new person in their lives, they were ready to take stock of all they had gained. (See Newborn, Page 20) NEWBORN RILEY HARRINGTON gets completely relaxed and takes a little snooze the day before he marks his first month. Independent photo/Trent Campbell
PAGE 20 — A Special Section of the Addison Independent, Monday, February 29, 2016
Babies & Families
ANNA HARRINGTON CUDDLES with her son, Riley, who, thankfully, is enjoying a little snooze.
Newborn (Continued from Page 19) “Some days I feel like, ‘I’ve got this,’ and other days I feel like, ‘What am I doing?’” Anna said earlier this month as she considered life as a new mother. Riley rested quietly in her arms, content as could be. “I think that I have to keep a positive attitude. We had so many things go wrong (around the time of the birth),” Anna said. The newborn had trouble breathing and the doctor’s considered sending him to
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
UVM Medical Center because he had some air trapped inside his chest but outside his lungs. They decided it wasn’t anything to worry about, and his little body took care of it naturally. Then they diagnosed possible jaundice so even after the family left the hospital, they had to return daily to have his blood checked. “We basically spent a week and a half at Porter Hospital,” Anna recounted. To complicate matters, the day Anna went
into the hospital, Justin was diagnosed with sleeps. Of course, that doesn’t mean uninterbronchitis, a sinus infection and an ear infec- rupted sleep. tion. Looking back, Anna laughs. “I usually get up with him about three “So he was also recovering in the hospital times a night,” she said. “Sometimes he and when we got home,” she said. eats and wants to go right back to bed, other Thankfully, the medical staff gave Justin times he wants to stay up for an hour and a antibiotics and told him that as long as he half.” didn’t have a fever he would be Sharing the responsiOK with the baby. bilities of parenthood has “Some days The next challenge was emphasized Anna and I feel like, ‘I’ve breastfeeding. Justin’s need for good team“He tried breastfeeding and got this,’ and work. There are times of day he just wouldn’t latch,” Anna situations where one or other days I feel or said. “We had our lactation the other seems to rise to the consultant come to the house like, ‘What am I occasion. and meet with me and she doing?’ ... I think “Usually you trade off,” couldn’t do it.” Justin said. that I have to So Riley is being fed formula “We’ve learned that now, and he’s doing fine. Anna keep a positive Justin tends to be pretty admits to a little frustration on attitude.” stressed out during the day this count. — new mother with him, and I tend to be “That was the plan all along, Anna Harrington more stressed out at night,” to breastfeed. I never imagined Anna said. “So if at three it was going to be so difficult, in the morning I’m having but it was absolutely miserable. He wanted a tough time, Justin’s usually pretty calm; nothing to do with it,” she said. “This lacta- and at three in the afternoon if Justin’s super tion consultant, everyone said she had the stressed out I’m usually pretty calm.” magic touch, she could get everyone to Justin said he can get anxious when Riley breastfeed. Not this one.” cries when they are out among strangers. During the last bit of her pregnancy and “In public I feel like people are judging us for the first month of Riley’s life, Anna took for a crying baby,” he said. a break from some medication she takes for Anna said her hardest time is 6 a.m. a long-term health issue. But, since breast“He wakes up for a feeding and he doesn’t feeding wasn’t happening, she returned to want to go back to bed … and I just want to taking the medication. go back to sleep,” she said. “He hated it so much and I needed to get Justin admits that when he returned to back on my medicine, and we decided he’s work after a week off he was worried about going to be a formula baby,” Anna said. “But his wife because she wasn’t getting much he got a little bit of breast milk in the first sleep. Some days he had to leave for his job week, week and a half.” as a cook at Middlebury College at 4 a.m., And then there is the sleep deprivation. which meant Anna was alone with Riley Anna quickly learned to sleep when the baby (See First month, Page 21)
A Special Section of the Addison Independent, Monday, February 29, 2016 — PAGE 21
First month (Continued from Page 20) when he woke up — if the baby was still sleeping. “I felt kind of guilty just getting out of the house,” he said. Justin did that for a few days until he injured his knee and had to go on a medical leave from work. “So I got him back,” Anna said, perhaps a little pleased with her good luck at the expense of his bad. “It kind of worked out.” And the team is bigger than just mom and dad. Eight-year-old Mason, Justin’s first son, spends some time at this dad’s house and some at his mother’s. He takes a genuine interest in his baby brother. He’s fed Riley and gives him a pacifier when needed. “I put Riley on the couch and tell Mason not to let him hit the ground,” Justin said. “This morning when Daddy was in the bathroom I watched him; he was in the swing,” Mason said. What if Riley started crying? “I’d probably go get Anna or put the pacifier back in,” Mason said. “The only thing we can’t convince Mason to do is change a diaper,” Anna teased. And Anna’s mother, Mary Ann Osborne, has been a godsend. At the end of the third week, Osborne took Riley to her home in East Middlebury for five hours so that Anna and Justin could just go home and sleep. “That was the first time we felt like we (See Asking for help, Page 22)
Babies & Families
Baby bliss
FIVE-MONTH-OLD Oliver Grayson Payne takes it easy on a couch in Middlebury earlier this month. The New Haven baby was welcomed on Sept. 3 by mother Amanda Sears, father David Payne and big brother Gage.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
PAGE 22 — A Special Section of the Addison Independent, Monday, February 29, 2016
Babies & Families
RILEY JACOB HARRINGTON has become the center of attention for mother and father, Anna and Justin Harrington, and big brother, Mason, during the month since he was born. Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Asking for help alertness and tracking of the world around (Continued from Page 21) didn’t have control,” Anna said. “We were him with his eyes, Anna even filed his nails so tired that we felt like we couldn’t even once, after he scratched his face (“He was sort of OK with it, he wasn’t take care of ourselves.” happy, but OK,” Anna said). Anna knows that her mother “It seems like The initial jaundice has loves having her grandson it’s gone fast completely disappeared. The around. “He was there five or sleeping is quite good at times. six hours and I don’t think he … maybe too They spent an hour and a half ever got put down,” Anna said. fast. Maybe in a restaurant when relatives But still Anna sometimes finds just the right came to visit. it difficult to ask for help. And they look forward to “She always offers, but I amount of breakthroughs just over the feel kind of guilty asking her,” fast.” — controlling his head, Anna said. “She’s sooo busy. — New horizon sitting up, playing on the mat She’s coaching the skating mother Anna and, of course, sleeping through show, and I’m not doing that Harrington the night. this year.” And there’s also a recognition And Osborne is busy with that time is passing and they are her job at Middlebury College really doing it, they are being parents. working with students. “It seems like it’s gone fast … maybe But Anna’s assessment of grandma’s help too fast,” Anna said, “maybe just the right is unequivocal. amount of fast. “She’s been great,” she said. “I don’t mind these days flying by — fussAs the Harringtons marked the first month of tiny Riley’s life, they paused for ing and being up every three hours; maybe a moment to savor the milestones their son in a month I’ll want it to slow down.” had already achieved — a growing sense of
A Special Section of the Addison Independent, Monday, February 29, 2016 — PAGE 23
Babies & Families
Mommy time
THESE LOCAL MOMS, who first met during a breastfeeding class, now get together about once a week to socialize and share their struggles and successes as first-time parents. Pictured with their babies, from left to right, are Vickie McCuen with Dahlia, Jill Fraga with Graham, Erin Davis with Asa, Megan Brakeley with Hazel, Claire Bove with Mateo and Liza Raymond with Lucas.
Photo by Ethan Raymond
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PAGE 24 — A Special Section of the Addison Independent, Monday, February 29, 2016
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Babies & Families
Here’s why you shouldn’t leave baby in a car (MS) — Children require a lot of care and constant supervision when they are young. Such is the reason reports of children being left in cars are so surprising and generate so much outrage. Many parents would never intentionally put their youngsters in harm’s way, but leaving a child in an unattended vehicle — even if it’s just for a few minutes — can be incredibly dangerous. Many states even consider such behavior a crime. Since 1998, 611 children have died from hyperthermia, or heat stroke, which resulted from the kids having been left in hot cars. Consumer Reports notes that more than 50 percent of those deaths were children under the age of 2. Heat is not the only danger children face when left in cars. Cold cars can be equally dangerous. Young children cannot regulate their body temperature very well. The University of Rochester Medical Center says babies can’t adjust to temperature changes as well as adults, and infants can lose heat rapidly, nearly four
times faster than adults. Healthy newborns may not be able to keep their bodies warm if the environment around them is too cold. On cold, snowy days, babies may need a constant flow of heat in the car to remain comfortable. Weather and temperature are not the only dangers kids face when left alone in cars. Strangulation from safety belts, entrapment in doors and windows and falls from open windows also may occur when kids are left in cars unsupervised. Some dexterous children may climb into the driver’s seat and engage the gearshift, causing the vehicle to move. Abduction is another potential danger (though highly unlikely), as unattended children in cars are potential targets for kidnappers. Never leave a child unattended in a car. Parents prone to forgetfulness can put a stuffed animal on the front seat to serve as a reminder that they have kids strapped in backseat car seats or place a purse or wallet on the backseat so they must look in the back of the car before exiting their vehicles.
Tips for moms returning to work (MS) — Returning from maternity leave can be challenging for any mother, but it can be especially difficult for first-time mothers, many of whom spend the vast majority of their maternity leaves with newborn babies in hand. While the challenge of returning from maternity leave can be considerable, working mothers can take steps to ensure the transition goes as smoothly as possible.
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CHILDREN’S CENTER Active Kids are Happy Kids!
United Way of Addison County proudly supports local youth and family organizations, working to help build a healthy, productive and thriving community: Addison Central Teens and Friends Addison County Parent/Child Center Addison County Readers Boys & Girls Club of Greater Vergennes Bristol Family Center Counseling Service of Addison County The DREAM Program Foxcroft Farm Harvest Program The HUB Teen Center and Skatepark Lund Family Center Mary Johnson Childrens Center MiddSummer Lunch and Recreation Program Otter Creek Child Center Starksboro Cooperative Preschool Turning Point Center of Addison County, Inc.
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Babies & Families
RETURNING TO WORK after several months of maternity leave is a difficult yet manageable transition many working mothers must make.
Back to work (Continued from Page 24) physicians, family members, friends, and neighbors for recommendations. Insist on references from any potential caregivers, and don’t hesitate to find a new care provider if your initial choice does not pan out. • Adjust your breastfeeding schedule. As the end of maternity leave nears, mothers can adjust their breastfeeding schedules so babies grow accustomed to nursing during hours when their mothers will be home and not at the office. Some companies have on-site childcare, and mothers who can take advantage of such programs should establish an on-site breastfeeding schedule and let their bosses know at which points during the day they will be visiting
the on-site childcare facility to breastfeed. • Inquire about telecommuting. The idea of telecommuting might have been a topic better broached before you went on maternity leave, but it’s never too late to inquire. Some companies embrace telecommuting while others are more hesitant to allow employees to work from home. Find out which category your company falls into, or if bosses are willing to meet you in the middle ground and enable you to work from home one or two days per week. Telecommuting can make the transition back to work a little easier, and it can save you substantial amounts of money on childcare as well. • Address any uncomfortable feelings. Returning from maternity leave often stirs feelings of guilt or sadness. If you develop such feelings, speak openly about them with your significant other and/or speak to fellow working mothers who can often offer support and share their own stories about returning from maternity leave. • Cut back on your commitments. Before you became a mother, you might have been the type of employee who was never afraid to take on a new project no matter how much was already on your plate. Now you may have to make adjustments. Avoid taking on any additional work as you get used to being a working mother. Once you grow accustomed to your new schedule and being both a professional and a mother, then you can start taking on additional commitments if you feel you can swing it. Returning from maternity leave is a challenge working mothers must face. But those who start to think about their transitions back to the office sooner rather than later will be better prepared to handle such a unique experience.
A Special Section of the Addison Independent, Monday, February 29, 2016 — PAGE 25
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PAGE 26 — A Special Section of the Addison Independent, Monday, February 29, 2016
Babies & Families
Great dental health must start early By Dr. NEAL GALINKO Senior medical director, UnitedHealthcare of New England February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, a reminder that good oral health is crucial to good overall health. Tooth decay is largely preventable, yet it ranks as the most common chronic disease among children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A recent survey by The Pew Center on the States gave Vermont a “B” in managing children’s oral health based on key measures such as optimally fluoridated water and availability of school-based dental programs. Some people believe baby teeth are not overly important, yet decay even in baby teeth can lead to speech problems, oral infections and discolored, crooked and damaged adult teeth. It’s important to keep baby teeth healthy and in place to ensure permanent teeth come in properly. Maintaining proper oral health among children is relatively easy. For example: For baby’s teeth and gums: • Never put baby to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, fruit juice or sweetened liquid. When these liquids pool in a baby’s mouth, they form a sugary film on the baby’s teeth, leading to decay and infection. • Starting at birth, clean the baby’s gums with water and a soft cloth or child-sized toothbrush. Once a child reaches age 2, parents can start brushing a baby’s teeth with a soft bristled toothbrush and a smear-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste (no larger than a grain of rice), making sure to teach the toddler to spit out the toothpaste.
• Schedule the baby’s first dental visit when the first tooth comes in, usually between the child’s first six to 12 months. For children’s teeth and gums: • Help your child brush twice a day with a small amount of fluoride toothpaste; for children ages 3 to 6, this means a pea-sized dab. Make sure your child does not swallow toothpaste, which may expose them to too much fluoride. • Begin flossing when back teeth begin to come in. Toothbrush bristles cannot reach between teeth, leaving those teeth vulnerable to bacteria and decay. • Limit sugary snacks and drinks between meals. When sugar comes in contact with teeth, decay-causing bacteria can produce acids that damage your child’s teeth. Encourage children to eat healthy snacks, such as fruits and vegetables. • Take your child to the dentist regularly and ask about fluoride supplements, which make the tooth enamel strong and help protect it from decay. For most children, that means visiting the dentist twice a year. • Sealants are plastic coatings placed on back teeth to protect them from decay, and they are usually covered as a preventive service by many dental plans, requiring little or no out-of-pocket costs. Ask the dentist about placing sealants for your child once he/she turns 6, when molars first come in. Be sure to take advantage of your health plan’s preventive dental benefit and visit your dentist regularly. By taking a few simple steps, you can start your children down the road of good oral health.
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MASON HARRINGTON GENTLY supports the head of his baby brother, Riley. Eightyear-old Mason helps when he can, even feeding and snuggling with Riley. Independent photo/Trent Campbell
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