quiltncatch

I got accepted! Just found out by email. Anyone else out there?

Congratulations! I'm very proud of you! Natalie

Oh, and I agree with gompers on the emotional issue. Babies have no idea that they are "different". They don't learn this concept until later preschool, and it's because we teach it to them. Adults, on the other hand, are very aware of anything that makes them different. The emotional problems with the helmet are the parents, not the babies. Natalie

I see babies in their homes all day long. I have to say that the babies that have more of an attachment parenting experience have better shaped heads. These babes are held or worn in a sling or carrier, they breastfeed (so no laying in the carrier with a propped bottle), and many breastfed babes I see are co-sleeping so they tend to be switching position in the night to bf on either side. The opposite end of the spectrum are the babes who never get out of the corificeat or swing. Feedings are propped and they sleep in the crib on their backs (which is a fine thing, but will someone hold them eventually, please!!) So, I guess what I'm saying is that back to sleep may be part of the culprit, but inattentive parents (or those who just don't know better) also play a large part. I encourage supervised tummy time from the very first post-partum visit. Just to get them used to the idea. Natalie

As you can tell from the many replies, this is a hard one to answer. I swore when i started this job I would not "drive thru". I have only twice in 9 mos. I figured out what stores have a deli, I'll get a sandwich for lunch. Nuts are good, they fill you up and are good for you. Fruit is easy to eat while driving as are cut up veggies. Hard boiled eggs are good too. It's tough if you don't stop to eat. You can only eat so many things while driving your car and talking on your cell:saint:. Good luck with that, hope you don't gain any weight! Natalie

That's pretty funny ($100 per visit, really?????). And, 25/hr!!! I get paid 17.87/hr as a new grad plus .45 cents per mile, 60miles per day average. We are expected to do 5 visits per day and I am in a rural state. Granted, we don't do OASIS because it's new moms and babes but a new admission takes 1.5-2 hours. Most days I see 6 or 7 babies and kids ( I would make a lot more with the per visit pay!) 1. GET A ROAD ATLAS!!! 2. If you use an appointment book, pay for one that's easy for you to use. 3. Did I mention, get a road atlas? 4. Carry med/surg or assessment type texts with you in the car. 5. Carry dog bones too. It keeps the dogs happy and the clients LOVE that you thought of their pet! After awhile you'll figure out what to carry with you. Definitely soap and paper towels for hand washing. Gloves. Purell for when you leave your soap at people's houses. Chux for having a clean surface to set down your stuff (in some houses you need it. I go to one house that I refer to as "the sticky house!") If you have clients you see regularly, carry thier phone numbers with you for those days you wake up sick or need to reschedule. I hope you love your job! The freedom and autonomy are hard to beat, that explains my willingness to accept my payscale!!

There's just a whole bunch o stuff that needs to be dealt with in that house! Not only would I call CPS and let them decide about the household stuff, I would call the doc and have a conversation with him/her too.The more people involved in this type of thing, the better. Too bad you don't have a supervisor backing you too. Know that you have support from us though, and keep us posted. Natalie

I just wrote a big long post and then lost it! The gist of it is....Make the call to CPS, I've had to do it and it isn't easy. I'll bet this family is already familiar to them, especially if they have adopted the kids of family members. Do it anonomously if you must, but do it anyway. They won't do anything for a dirty house, but if there is feces or maggots they will. Stress the danger to the health of the child with CP. A serious infection could kill her. You are her advocate. If you don't call, you will always wish you had...... As for the job!! They are terribly irresponsible and should also be reported and shut down. Go to the other agency. The one I work for is wonderful and I hope that's your experience in the future! Natalie

So I just had my interview!!! It was nerve wracking, but she was talking to me like I was already in. Why nurse midwifery? What are your strong and weak points as a nurse? How do you react in a stressful situation as a nurse? Why frontier? Pretty straightforward and Susan's really nice! Good luck to you all and I hope to meet you in Hyden! Natalie

I'm from Vermont and my interview is today(Thursday) at noon. I did speak with her at length last year while I was still in school, so I imagine it will go about the same. Probably it's the same as what we had to write about: Why midwifery, what do you want to do with your degree blah, blah. You already have a master's so at least you know the amount of work we have ahead of us!! I can only imagine........ Natalie

I'm a home health nurse who only works with new moms and babies. We have the occasional child under 20 who has a chronic or acute illness, but 99% of what we do is lactation support, education and hooking people up with other services they may need and be eligible for. It doesn't pay as well as hospital nursing but the benefits of being autonomous and making my own schedule are well worth it. I always say that when they offered me the job I said "You want to PAYme to drive around all day and hold new babies? Well, OK!!" The beauty of nursing is that you can try many different jobs in your career. There is no reason to stay where your spirit is suffering! Good luck finding the perfect job! Natalie

When looking at formula feeding in developing countries, you must always take into consideration the quality of water being used to make the formula. Also, is the formula within it's dates and is it being mixed properly? (some families water it down to make it stretch farther) I'm not a fan of formula, breast is best. It's just that these babies may have had diarrhea for reasons other than not being breastfed. Diarrhea kills many children worldwide due to unclean water supply. My question would be, if these babies aren't already HIV positive, than what is the chance of getting this through breastmilk? I don't ever see it here, so I really don't know.

Any study done on the safety of homebirth shows that it is a safe option for low risk moms. Each state has it's own laws and regs. Some are legal, some alegal and some downright illegal. Midwifery is political, there's no doubt about it. The narm website, www.narm.org has lists of the legal status of DEM's by state. There are also links to studies done. I'm starting midwifery school in May!

There isn't anything that our hospitals use. Just leave them alone, don't stand in the hot shower facing forward, wear a supportive bra. But, you may want to ask the question of the Midwifery Today forums, you can probably find info just by searching that site. I know there are complimentary therapies (herbs, etc.) that the midwives are very knowledgable about. http://www.midwiferytoday.com/forums

As a midwifery apprentice, a 49 y/o amish woman having her 9th baby. As a home health nurse, a 13 Y/o and her best friend who was 14. No, the babies don't have the same dad. Yes, the dad's are going to jail. And, yes, I'm sure they will have more babies soon, as thier mom's took over and they are not held accountable in any way. As an aside, I had a 16 y/o client who went to the hospital because she felt really sick all day. Out came a 6.5 lb 35 weeker. Not too surprising, except her pediatrician (a very bright experienced woman), gave her a full physical 2 weeks before she delivered! So, next time someone says they really didn't know they were pregnant, I might believe them!