Parenting

Baby 101: Class is in Session

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

“There’s no such thing as ready. You just jump on a moving train and you try not to die.” – What to Expect When You’re Expecting (2012)

When I was pregnant with our first born, my husband and I excitedly prepped for his arrival. We nested, made the baby registry, and even scheduled some birthing and baby courses to be more prepared for his delivery and care. However, all of that went out the window when I went into labor at 27 weeks.

Needless to say, I never got a chance to take a tour of the maternity ward, or find out how to appropriately breathe or push when going into labor, or even know what to do or expect once he was born. It just happened.

This brings up the question, do you really need to take baby courses?

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The Baby (Development) Registry

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Oh, the baby registry. It’s an exciting time to search for all the things that baby (and you) could ever need. But what is really necessary? When it comes to growth and development, here are our suggestions for items that help in more ways than one. 

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A Nest for Your Egg

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

“We can’t bring a baby into this mess!?!?…”

In pregnancy, some women may feel this incessant internal urge to clean. Nothing ever seems to be together. Everything revolves around getting and being ready.

Nesting is the process of preparing for a newborn’s arrival; turning a house into a home and providing a place of comfort, belonging, and physical and emotional stability for your baby.

How is nesting related to OT? Because it is something meaningful to you. You are investing your time and energy in activities necessary to care for your little one.

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The Expectant Dad

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

For the next post in our Child(ish) Dad series, we’re talking to the Expectant Dad. A lot can happen in 9 months! Read about one soon-to-be father’s experience.

Name: Everett
Age of Child: Expecting this summer

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2020 – The Year of the Alternative Summer

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L
2020: The Year of the Alternative Summer

After three months of online school and at-home daycare, we finally get to have a summer vacation! However, we’re all a bit uncertain, since many of us are still working at home, not traveling, and many summer camps are delaying opening. That leaves June and parts of July and August with not much to do. To avoid couch potatoes and the too many “I’m so bored” complaints this summer, here’s some alternatives:

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