SAFE SLEEP POSITIONING

No body wants their baby to have a flat head. It can cause serious problems with the skull and even the brain! Putting too much pressure on one area never ends in a good result.
However, there are SAFE ways to position your baby, to give them the most perfect little round head and comfort!

With Maddox, he preferred to lay on right side of his head. He always wanted to lean his head to the right, resulting in a slightly flat right side of the head. So, at one of his Early Intervention appointments, the nurse taught me some safe, sleep positioning rolls to help correct the shape of the head and keep him comfortable. He loved the snugness of the roll and slept even better with one! Everytime he woke up for a feeding or we laid him down for a nap, we changed the rolls from left side, back, right side, which I will show you how to do below. Also, when Maddox fell asleep in his bouncy chair or in our arms, we always tried to keep track of which said his head was on, and gently turned it to whatever side he was not on from his previous nap :)

Types of Rolls: 
Side of the head: Pageant Roll

Airway supporting back roll

Tummy Time roll (NOT FOR SLEEP)

1. ALWAYS use a bath towel ONLY! Towels are breathable, unlike heavy blankets and sheets. So if the towel becomes unraveled and some how covers the child's face, it is still breathable. Towels also have a unique texture, which is why they work so well because they grip to it's own fibers, maintaining the rolls shape and making it less likely to become unraveled.

2.Roll up your bath towel length wise, Start rolling small until you have a long, sturdy, roll.

3. Line the end of the roll under the babies neck, cross over the chest and between the legs, (like a pageant sash) and line tightly along the back side and behind the head again. This creates a sturdy side position that does NOT allow the baby to roll to its tummy. Try it out on your child and you will see that there is no way they can roll either side. They also tend to like the snug and cozy feeling  :)

^your end result should look like this. If you try to push them over to their stomach, you will find they can not roll over, and are in a safe snug position. This works for both sides. Always make sure the roll is under their neck, supporting it and making sure that you can always SEE the bottom of their neck, indicating that their airways are open.

Airway supporting back roll

This roll is pretty basic and easy, almost like a little nest except your baby is more on top of the roll. Make sure the roll is under their neck and that you can see the bottom of their neck. Place towel slightly under along the sides of their bodies. This gives them time on their back as well but decreasing the amount of pressure on the head.

Tummy Time Roll

This roll is to help support tummy time and strengthen neck, back and arm muscles. It is pretty self explanatory.  This roll is NOT for sleep! Do NOT put your baby to sleep on this roll. It is only for assistance with tummy time.

For best results, change your babies position every time you lay them down after a feeding. Go left side, back, right side, left side, back, right side. Your little one should turn out with a perfect little round head!

These also come as a handy alternative if your baby likes to sleep on their stomach, which can be scary and DANGEROUS!

For more information on Flat Head syndrome, click HERE

For more information on stomach sleeping and SIDS click here 

Hope this helps!

A Difference

So often, we stay in our own little bubble of a life, not even thinking twice about something other than ourselves.
Lately it has caught my attention that a lot of people in our(Ron and I's) family and friends are these people.
So caught up in our own lives, what have we really done to make a difference?
I constantly get phone calls, from people telling me all about what's going on in their life.
Never just asking to see how I or someone else is doing. Which is not even what I want.
Not even bothering with any other matters because it could potentially hurt them or open their eyes to something they don't want to see.
So consumed in our own lives, we never second guess ourselves, this is my life, my family, sticking to the people we know, that benefit us.

What if everyone was like this?

If Maddox would have never been here and passed, I would have never opened my eyes to these things.
Even before Maddox, I always sort of wanted to reach out, but Maddox put things into a subject and action.

So how do you go beyond your own children, your own family, and actually care about someone else?
I honestly think the answer is God, because when I ask for a will to do so, I am granted such, on numerous occasions. A God who I used to deny and speak of sarcastically, forgave me...

The internet has been one of my main resources for reaching out.
 But what if you don't have that?
There are things you CAN do, even locally.
I always make it a point to read every collection can at the gas station and slip some change into the slot.
Which is just ONE thing.

What if you don't have money?
We all know someone who is struggling, we may hardly even be acquainted with this person,
but there is always something we can do.
Lately I have been itching to give this woman a ride every time we see her.
Why do I ignore this "itch" so often? Because I am afraid for myself or don't want to use the energy.

Which is why most of us stay in our "little bubble", never doing more than we have to.

I also think this plays a part in why we don't turn to God, or take the time to find and connect with him.
I know for me, it was just too much. I was fine without him, I thought. 

But the second I put my selfishness aside, and actually thanked him for EVERYTHING, and asked for help, I was literally granted immediately. A calmness, the humbleness, you can't deny.

Basically, there is always something you can do.
Even just caring and praying for someone is something.
Too often we are so wrapped up in our own lives, or so afraid of something else,
we forget that we are not the only people here, and that helping other people can make us feel good too!

 Doing something for someone, without expecting something in return.
A reward can ruin the humble, genuineness of your act.

So a good question to ask yourself is, what have you really done today, this week, or this year?

What measures have you taken to step outside your comfort zone, to do something for someone,
SOMETHING, anything else?

-Brooke

Birth Control: Implanon

While I was still pregnant with Maddox, my Healthy Family's councilor went over a birth control pamphlet with me and introduced the Implanon.
I was very interested and immediately did my own research.

Implanon:
        is a newer birth control implant, receiving FDA-approval in July 2006. This contraceptive implant is a thin rod, 40 mm in length and 2 mm in diameter -- about the size of a cardboard matchstick. It's made from a flexible plastic and is inserted just under the skin on the inner side of your upper arm. Implanon is a progestin-only method and provides about 3 years of pregnancy protection. Insertion requires a local anesthetic and only takes a few minutes. The implant can also be removed anytime before the 3 years are up. Implanon does not contain latex or silicone and will not dissolve, so it must be removed.

                                                                 Isn't the box cute?

How Implanon Works:

        Implanon continually releases a low dose of etonogestrel (a progestin) to protect against pregnancy for up to 3 years. It contains 68 milligrams of etonogestrel, released over the 3-year period; about 60 to 70 micrograms per day are released in the first year, and the amount decreases over time. After the third year, Implanon will still release some hormone, but it will not be enough to prevent pregnancy. Like other hormonal methods, it works by stopping ovulation, changing the cervical mucus making it harder for sperm to swim through, and thinning the uterine lining, so it is less receptive to implantation.

 Being realistic, I knew I did not want anymore kids anytime soon, therefore Ron and I decided to maintain abstinent and use a form of birth control as further precautions.

The Implanon instantly caught my eye because it co-exists with breastfeeding.

• It is a safe and highly effective birth control method
  
• A good alternative option for women who can't use estrogen-based contraceptives
  
• Provides continuous pregnancy prevention for 3 years and can be removed anytime within the 3-year period
  
• After removal, a woman’s ability to become pregnant returns quickly; some women have reported becoming pregnant within days after removal of the contraceptive implant
  
• It is a private and discreet birth control method. Nobody can tell if you are using it, and there is no packaging or other evidence of use that may embarrass some women
  
• Most women can’t see Implanon after its insertion

• It allows for continuous, long-lasting birth control without the need of a tubal ligation
  
• Convenient and hassle-free –- once inserted, you don’t have to do anything

 I went to the clinic, she cleaned my arm, put some numbing stuff on, then gave me a shot of a local anesthetic to numb the area. Within 5 minutes I was completely numb and she cleaned my arm again and inserted the Implanon through a large metal needle. It did not hurt at all. The numbing shot hurt a little bit but no more than a regular shot. I barely bruised, some people bruise really bad but not me. I had a little piece of skin left on from where the needle entered my arm,  but it turned into a scab and is already fully healed.
The video makes it all look much worse than it actually is! Its painless and carefree!


 So far, I am happy with it! I got it while I was on my first period and I am still spotting brown older blood. Whether this is just because it's my first period since prior to being pregnant or because of the Implanon I am not sure. But besides that I am totally satisfied. I just love not having to care about birth control. It's in there and done for 3 years.

Why I did not choose any other form of birth control;

The Pill is the least effective form of birth control. It is also very sensitive. If you miss one day it messes everything up, hence, how Maddox got here ;) It also causes a lot of the similar side effects as the Depo shot which I will post below.

Mirena/Nuva Ring/Any type of Vaginal IUD I am just not comfortable with and heard horror stories about them. I don't really like the idea of something foreign in my vagina. It just seems unnatural and dangerous. and it is. Mirena can cause really bad problems and life threatening infections. So I just decided to stay away from all that. The Nuva Ring just sounded weird too. I would feel weird having it up there and unsure if its in or how to use it and all.

The Depo Shot is a sickening amount of hormones being released into your body. Enough to last you three months all at once! It also makes you gain weight, decreases your fertility,
Causes you to lose bone density. Usually causes irregular bleeding. You have to get it every three months.
 It can abort or cause birth defects if you are pregnant. Many women also experience change in sex drive, appetite, depression, nausea, head ache, hair loss, increased body and facial hair, and tender breasts. It also puts you at high risk of having an Ectopic pregnancy. So basically the shot sucks. A lot of people say they love it but they don't really know what its doing to them on the inside and what their body will be like in the future.

Those are the most popular forms of birth control. All the other forms like the patch, spermicides, diaphragm, cervical cap, contraceptive sponge etc. I thought all just sounded crazy and some unsafe and ineffective so I didn't even really look into them or even question them.

So yeah, I would HIGHLY recommend the Implanon. It seems like the most obvious and safe choice!
Here is the video of me getting the Implanon inserted. Don't be afraid! It looks FAR more worse than it feels and the long term outcome is perfect!

You can feel it underneath your skin. It just feels like a little hard line. It doesnt hurt to touch it at all. You cant see it but you can feel it.

Babies are great, beautiful, miracles but sometimes we arent ready for them or just don't want one. So to help prevent unplanned pregnancy, abstinence is the best option but not always realistic, so birth control can help us wait to have a child until we are ready and prepared for a child ;)

This is me getting the Implanon inserted. Skip to the end to see the actually insertion.

References: http://contraception.about.com/od/prescriptionoptions/p/Implanon.htm

SO

I decided to make a new blog for my "normal" blogging.
Things that I would like to blog about not in my son's name.
I will switch over my birth control post to this page as a starter lol
Basically, My Son's Wings , is for my grieving of Maddox.
Maddox's Fan Page on Facebook, is for memories of him and his cuteness ;)
A Glimpse of Heaven is for my editing organization.
and THIS blog, Angel Momma, is for my day to day topics I would like to discuss.
Hope everyone catches on quickly.
If you have any topic ideas please let me know! ;)