Our New Addition

| Patti Webb

We’re excited to introduce part of our Child(ish) Advice family. Patti is our Social Media and Web Manager, and now a monthly blog contributor. Here’s a little bit about her:

Growing up, I was not part of a stable household. My parents had multiple divorces between them, and I never lived in one place for more than a couple years. From high school to college to young adulthood, I could see the positive and negative repercussions of my upbringing and I still grapple with it from time to time. I think we all make mental notes at some point or another, “I won’t be like that when I have a kid…”.

My husband and I went through 18 months of infertility before becoming pregnant with twins via IUI. In that time, I did a lot of self-reflection on the roles of my parents and step-parents. Then, I made a command decision that changed everything.

I read books, searched blogs, went to therapy, and finally decided that I was going to build my own style of parenting. A complete start-from-scratch. I don’t have to abide by rules or schedules or gender roles that don’t work for my family. I don’t have to do what my mom and dad did. I can try new and different parenting suggestions/styles/tips and if they work, great! If they don’t, I can move along.

I am a Millennial, and I have so many tools and outlets available to me. Google, parenting blogs and forums, scientific reports, podcasts; just think of how much more we know about parenting and raising great kids compared to 10, 15, 35 years ago. In addition, we have advances in neuroscience, learning development, and mental health. Not to mention, modern dads are more active than any previous generation. The parenting game will always be a challenge, but it helps knowing you’ve got resources.

I’m grateful to Mary for letting me partner with her, to help marry Occupational Therapy science to Modern Parenting. It’s my hope we can provide useful information that is not only accessible, but also easily adaptable for you and your family.

Thank you and stay childish,

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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Pregnancy Self-Care

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Modern expectant moms (especially first-time moms) hear a gamut of unsolicited advice during their pregnancy term. “You need to take care of yourself,” strangely seems to be one of the more annoying pieces of noise.

It makes sense. But with a 9-month (or sooner) deadline, how can one balance preparing for baby AND fulfilling professional and personal commitments AND taking care of yourself? Let’s also not forget finding time to read the baby books, going to all of the appointments, and having people touch your belly all the time…

From an OT perspective, self-care is a part of daily living that includes meaningful and intentional actions to address one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. These activities can range anywhere from personal hygiene to health management, sleep, and social participation.

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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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