Early Motherhood

Even today, the unjust stereotype is still sometimes invoked: a single parent presides over a broken home that produces troubled children. Unless single mothers and fathers disbelieve this popular prejudice, they are in danger of doubting their adequacy and undercutting their confidence as parents. It’s not the number of parents in a family, but the quality of parenting a child receives that matters most. A home is only “broken” when healthy family interactions break down. As for producing troubled children, in my counseling practice they seem no more likely to come from single parent homes than from dual parent families.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in children in the United States! This horrible statistic is made worse when we discover that 75% of child fatalities and 50% of child injuries could be eliminated with the consistent and correct use of child safety seats and safety belts! Educate yourself about your responsibility as a caregiver/parent to provide the children in your care with the protection that law and common sense dictate. When you drive with children in the car, children must be in safety seats and belts and in them correctly!

Finding out your child is pregnant and planning to have the baby means that a lot of things are going to change in your family. And though it’s certainly not what most parents expect, it happens every day: nearly 1 million teenage girls in the United States give birth every year.

If your teen is about to become a parent, it can be overwhelming for both of you. How can you support her through the changes and challenges that are ahead?

If you’re a first-time parent, breastfeeding your newborn may seem complicated until you’ve had some practice. Before you begin nursing, it’s a good idea to take a look at your surroundings.

Many mothers like to sit in a glider or in a cozy chair with armrests. Footstools and pillows can provide extra support (pillows that some women find helpful are the donut-type nursing pillows or the “husband” back pillows with arms on each side for nursing in bed).

It’s also important to find a comfortable nursing position (or hold) for both you and your baby. Here are some common ones to consider.

Teen pregnancy rates in the United States have declined steadily in recent years. More than 60 of every 1000 teenage women gave birth in 1991 and 51 per 1000 in 1998 (the last year for which data are available). This decline is thought to be attributed to more effective birth control practice and decreased sexual activity among teens. The most dramatic reduction—23%—has occurred among African American teenagers.