This week goes out to Jennifer Lawrence. She feels comfortable in her own skin and does not heed to unnecessary pressure. Take, for example, these 22 instances in which she has reacted to situations however she chooses: http://www.buzzfeed.com/elliewoodward/zero-fucks-given#.chyoQ2lYz
Jennifer Lawrence seems of a good nature and will hopefully be a good example to others of how to be genuine while also being pleasant and (semi-)appropriate.
(Source)
I recently read an article about the Pope inviting mothers to breastfeed in the Sistine Chapel while celebrating the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The article reminded me of an important part of my Labor and Delivery rotation – feeding. I had the opportunity to shadow a lactation consultant for almost an entire day and it was an enlightening experience to say the least.
First of all, I have not borne a child nor had I had the opportunity to feed an infant at that point. Sure, I have held my little cousins when they were babies, but that is about all the experience I had had even including my shadowing in the NICU. Thus, I was learning about the special cases as well as the basics of breastfeeding.
For instance, I had no idea of the mechanics of sucking. Infants push the breast against the hard palate to expel milk. If an infant is unable to push the breast effectively, the results are sore breasts and an inadequately fed child. There are several reasons why an infant may have difficulty sucking and it is up to the lactation consultant to assess the issue and direct the parents on how to help the infant.
Of course, mothers’ breasts also play a role in the effectiveness of infant feeding. If the milk duct is inflamed or obstructed, the infant will try harder and harder to get the milk flowing to no avail. The lactation consultant can also help determine the problem feeding and help alleviate any pain or condition mothers may have with feeding.
The size of a newborn babe’s stomach at days 1, 3, and 10, as represented by comparable objects and milliliters, respectively. (Source)
Lactation consultants also have a hand in educating parents on alternative ways to feed their newborn. Some women prefer simply to feed from the breast. Others prefer pumping then feeding. Still others prefer feeding their infant with a mixture of donor milk and formula (if there is a medical condition preventing mothers from proffering their own milk).
I was amazed at how much lactation consultants know about the breast and about infants. Without establishing a good feeding regimen immediately postpartum, newborns may struggle to thrive. The fact that Pope Francis encourages mothers to disregard societal pressure to feel embarrassed about breastfeeding is important because without breastfeeding (or however a mother or father may choose to feed her or his infant), the baby is denied a consequential piece of its childhood.
I also appreciate the fact that Pope Francis encouragement stems from an understanding of global issues. Although I tend to remain ethnocentric (that is, focused solely on the culture and society of the United States), it is true that there are parts of the world where women are so malnourished that they cannot offer their infants breastmilk even if they want to. There are also areas of the world where formula may be contaminated because of the water used to make it. Pope Francis has realized this and responded in a commendable way by encouraging breastfeeding whenever possible.
This week I would like to highlight an extraordinary woman who I have had the good fortune to work with and get to know more over the course of the last year. To simply say she is an exceptional nurse is to discredit her of all her other good qualities. She is kind, compassionate, and trustworthy. This woman recently started a blog of her own and has written incredibly insightful posts which I would encourage others to read. She too is a nursing student, but her posts eloquently describe the lessons we must all endure in life.
“On Wednesdays we wear pink.”
The line from the movie Mean Girls, reminds me that gender stereotyping, feminism, and sexism are almost always prevalent in the most subtle of ways. Whatever one’s opinions or beliefs may be, there is one other concept also commonly associated with Wednesday – Woman Crush Wednesday. While some consider the tag to be superficial, I would like to use it for an ulterior purpose: identifying a female who has done something marvelous in the world. The range of her impact does not necessarily have to expand internationally, but it does have to be relevant enough to provide inspiration to those of us who need it.
This one goes to Emma Watson.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariellecalderon/the-most-amazing-emma-watson-moments-of-2014#.koZjX9Rdz
In the modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s revered novel, Emma Woodhouse is a lifestyle coach and matchmaker who aims to better the world, one person at a time. Emma’s partner Alex (George) Knightly, handles the business aspect of the company and is the voice of reason in many of Emma’s quandaries. The ongoing series utilizes various social media platforms and creates a real-time and real-world performance of Emma that emphasizes the essence of Jane Austen’s characters.
Emma Approved is written and produced by the same team as The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a webseries I thoroughly enjoyed. I knew I would like EA – especially because I am able to enjoy the series in real-time, unlike LBD. The link I have provided below is to the first episode of EA. The information about the characters and their other social media links are listed in the description box on the video page.
I encourage all Jane Austen fans and fans of mass communication to partake in Emma Approved while it is current. I can assure that no one will regret the experience.
As you might have noticed from my Goodreads feed, I have been reading a book about women aviators lately. I enjoy reading about history, particularly when it pertains to extraordinary people. I read about Baroness Raymonde de Laroche, Bessie Coleman, and Neta Snook, all pioneers in aviation and all women. In learning about the early history of aviation, I skimmed over the chapter on Amelia Earhart who is most commonly known for flying over the Atlantic and attempting to fly around the world. As I continued on with the book, my brother asked to watch ESPN on television so I set aside the book and turned onto the news. The news story that happened to be playing was of Matt Guthmiller, a pilot who may be the youngest yet to fly solo around the world. Coincidence? Possibly.
Read more about the remarkable young man in the article below:
http://nypost.com/2014/07/15/teen-could-be-youngest-to-fly-solo-around-the-world/
As I mentioned this past week, I have been exploring Scout, a Pierce County Library System online program for adults. In my exploration, I have discovered an online education website that is free through the library. I knew Tacoma Library System had it, but I did not know that PCLS did – as you can imagine, I was ecstatic!
The name of the website is Universal Class. If you have a Pierce County Library card, you should be able to access it for free. I hope that this information will be useful to those in Pierce County as well as those who may be interested to see if this option is available through the local public library system.
I have been trying to keep up with my study habits this summer and thought, “what better way than to use online education?” I browsed the website for the kinds of courses it hosts and almost immediately signed up for Prenatal Care. I wanted to see what the courses would be like and thought the prenatal class would give me a good head-start on next semester’s rotation through labor and delivery.
The courses are designed for anyone with a high school education and offer unlimited time for completion. In every lesson, there is the information which can be printed for later use as well as an exam (that is more like a quiz in my opinion). Some lessons have assignments which have the student review what has been discussed in the lesson. Some courses have more lessons than others. The course instructors tend to answer emails and return grades in a timely manner. The longest I have had to wait for a response was two days – and that was over a weekend.
Currently I am taking Organic Chemistry 101, Alzheimer’s Disease 101, and All About Herbs. I have completed Prenatal Care and am concurrently taking a nutrition class through the Tacoma Public Library System‘s online education website.
I was driving today and realized how wonderful music is. Sometimes my mood changes with the music that’s playing. Sometimes it fulfills a moment. Sometimes it makes me think about larger picture things. I don’t know if I’m making any sense, but I just thought I’d share some of my favorite songs at the moment.
Picture yourself out for a nice, long, relaxing drive somewhere on a lazy summer Sunday afternoon…
George Morgan – You Say
King Charles – Lady Percy
Branches – Helicopter
Finn HP – Chocolate (1975 cover)
Becky CJ – Overjoyed/Kiss You (Bastille and One Direction mashup cover)
Liv 'n Learn 