In the previous post, I explained the important role breast feeding played in our newborn son’s recovery from surgery immediately after his birth. In this post, I want to assure those of you who aren’t breast feeding for whatever reason, I am not trying to burden you with guilt or judge you in any way. That said, I encourage moms who want to breast feed, even if their newborns are struggling...

What about breast feeding? If your newborn is in neonatal intensive care, that’s a question you should be asking. Our son’s story tells you why. And it explains why I’m the proud owner of an early 1900s vintage breast pump. Allen’s Story When Allen was born with an esophageal birth defect, he couldn’t eat through his mouth for several weeks. “But what about breast...

When a child survives a serious illness, life is good again, right? Of course it’s good, but most likely it isn’t perfect since raising a survivor comes with a number of potential challenges. In this post, we’ll identify some of those challenges and the typical ways parents respond to them. Future posts will discuss each one in greater depth and point you to available resources. Challenge...

When I wrote A Different Dream for My Child, the meditations addressing the death of children were the hardest ones to complete. Why? Because my child lived, and I felt hypocritical trying to comfort parents who have lost much more than I have. God’s Holy Work If my editor hadn’t insisted, I wouldn’t have tackled the subject. And even though several parents agreed to share their...

Why I Get Aggravated I get so aggravated when big, burly guys try to negotiate Grandma Myrtle or Great-Uncle Oscar’s wheelchair over bumps in sidewalks and slightly raised thresholds, or onto a shallow-stepped landing. Their standard method of operation is to ram the wheelchair at the obstacle, jarring Grandma or Oscar in the process and nearly scaring them to death. “What’s the...

The past two posts suggested ten ways people can help when your child is hospitalized. Today’s ideas are designed to bring some fun into the mix. The longer a hospital stay is, the more necessary fun and laughter become, at least if you plan to keep your sanity. So the next time people ask what they can do, let them play with these ideas. Food Cafeteria food gets old after awhile. Ask people...

The previous post suggested five ways parents of hospitalized kids can respond when people offer to help. The longer your child’s illness lasts, the more ways people can assist you. Here are five more ideas for the people who want to make your situation manageable. Pet Care Arrange for someone to care for your pets in your home or provide “foster care” in theirs. Laundry Have someone...

How should you respond to offers of help when your child is hospitalized? Should you decline because you don’t want to be an inconvenience? Should you brush them off so you don’t appear vulnerable and needy? Or should you hold people at arm’s length because it hurts to let anyone into your life right now? Whatever possible reasons you have for refusing assistance, now’s the...

When a child is unexpectedly hospitalized, having a clear-thinking parent by her side is very good medicine. Here are  five things clear-thinking parents do to help their hospitalized children: #1 Stay Calm It’s hard to stay calm when a child is in distress, on the way to surgery or enduring a difficult treatment. But conscious or unconscious, children pick up their parents’ emotional...

Who would you call if  your child was seriously injured or diagnosed with a critical illness or chronic condition? Your spouse? Your parents or siblings? Your closest friend? People who are extremely close to your child need to be contacted, but they might not be the best first contacts, especially if they tend to respond emotionally. A good first contact person is someone who meets several of the...