This in an open invitation to join the initial set up of "Nursing Matters" a volunteer organisation to help supply basic hygiene materials and support to nursing mothers caught in the immigration process in the UK. Initially, our focus is nursing mothers at Yarl's Wood IDC. However, I imagine we will create a charter jointly that gives a more precise definition of the aid we plan to give.

All members of this community are welcome to join. In the first instance, this is only for discussion and advice. Joining the list does not mean you have volunteered to hang around and do anything! Listeners are welcome in addition to all who feel they might have something to offer, be it only advice at this early stage.

To subscribe to the forum: got to

http://mail.nursingmatters.org.uk/…an/listinfo/forum_nursingmatters.o…

Please note this has to be done by you as you then enter your own password. Don't ask me to do it for you! Discussions will not begin for about another 48 hours (apart from Hello, how are you?) to allow propagation of this message. This is being posted , midday Friday 25 August, 2006 London time. Can I ask that anyone who is in other suitable forums (breastfeeding, nursing, parenting, immigration conditions with the UK etc) to please post this message as they feel it appropriate. As this is primarily a breast feeding awareness issue, all other nursing mothers are welcome - wherever they are. Please note that Nursing Matters is neither a campaigning nor a political group. We are there to provide material support to mothers, first and last. Thank you for your help - particularly in sending this message out! Morgan Gallagher NursingMatters at dreyfuss dot demon dot co dot uk

I wanted to invite you to my journal. I will be writing out commentaries about my days as a daycare teacher (all true stories with names changed to protect my children and parents, as well as to protect myself). Please feel free to add this journal to your friends list.

...cross-posted in lots of places

Hello there! I am hoping for some advice. Some time in the not-too-distant future, my husband and I might decide to have children. We are, at least, cautiously considering the possibility of breeding. I am in graduate school now (I'm a 5th-year doctoral student in Comparative Literature), and I was wondering if my fellow grad-schoolers had any thoughts they could share about the pros and cons of breeding while still in school. I know people do it--successfully, too!--but have the following questions and doubts: While I understand that there is never a "perfect time" to have a child, how realistic is it to write the dissertation while pregnant (or with a newborn)? Would it be any easier to be pregnant (or with a newborn) while on the job market or while starting a new job?

Is there any "conventional wisdom" about this that anyone is aware of? Even better, do any of you have any first-hand experience you might be persuaded to share--either here or by e-mail??

Thanks so much!
swan_bot

Well, really only since Wednesday.

This was my first week out of the hellacious 4 week session (I completed 10 credits in 4 weeks. I got a B and a B+. My mind is now Jell-o) I am now working on a 2 credit Independent Study for the remainder of the Summer.

So, it's just been crazy-hot here. Hovering around 100 every day. "Good morning Vietnam" hot. You know what I'm saying...

On Wednesday, Emilija felt hot to me. I thought she was overheated, so I stripped her to her diaper, and put her in front of a fan to cool her off. an hour later she was still burning up. I took her temperature. It was 103. I put her in a cool bath and gave her Tylonol. The fever started to come down, but 4 hours later it was right back up to 103. By Thursday, the Tylonol dance was still going on, so I took her into the ER. They drew blood, and cath'ed her for urine. UA was normal. CBC was normal, but with an elevated white count. Cultures were negative. No explanation. The fever finally broke yesterday. Yeah! Must have been a virus. Probably picked up off of the Wal-Mart shopping cart. (Raza*#frakin%@* Wal-mart!)

So, since she was feeling better, i decided to go ahead and accept my parents' invitation to join them for the final night of the Creation Festival at the Gorge. She was cranky before we left, so I considered not going at all. But then my Dad called and told me he had already bought my ticket. I felt committed. So we went. It was a geat show. I <3 The Newsboys!! But that's another post.

She cried nearly the whole way there. Right after we got there, Emilija was with my Mom in the back of the RV. She fell off of the bed, and landed, as Mom described it, on her butt. But she let out a blood-curtling scream. I assumed that she was still really irritable. This morning she could not walk.



EMILIJA HAS A BROKEN LEG!



Back to the ER this morning for blood tests, because we thought that maybe the infection causing her fever had settled into her joints. Plus X-Rays, which finally supplied today's answer. As far as the fracture goes...there is nothing to do about it. We have it wrapped in an ACE and sghe will see an Orthopedist on Tuesday. Until then we just have to be ginger with it. She may have broken it when she fell of the bed, or it may have been broken before we left. Either way, I have guilt.

Poor Michael. Emilija is getting all the attention, which causes him to act out even more than usual, which epsets his sister, which makes us yell at him, which makes him act out... I think today there will be a special Michael & Daddy activity away from thie house so we can all rest a bit. I really thought if one of my children would break themselves...it would be the boy!

I can't wait to see what next week has in store.

My son is officially POTTY TRAINED!

(x-posted from my journal)

It's hard to believe that spring break is nearly over. I just got used to being with my kids all day. My son just got used to having me here all day. It's going to be hard to be back in school all day again, starting Monday. Next quarter I will be on campus from 8am to 8pm, 4 days a week! I just have to remind myself that this is for their future, for a better life for my family. I miss my kids so much!

Hello!

My name is Dagny, I am 25, and I am a student at my local community college in Jacksonville, NC. It is called, Coastal Carolina Community College, CCCC. I started back to school at 24. I got pregnant with my son 2 weeks out of HS so that kind of scrapped me going to college immediately. I also was very sick during my pregnancy and also had problems at the end (pre-term labor then surgery when he was 4 weeks old)

I have 1 son, Quinn, who is 6 and I am 6 weeks pregnant. I am currently taking 3 classes (Math, English and History) and an American Sign Language class. I guess I should mention my son is deaf but has a cochlear implant.....

I am going to be taking summer classes online because my son being out of school and my husband being gone (he is in Navy) for 6 weeks this summer, I really don't want to be stuck at home the entire summer. So we are going traveleing this summer. I am due November 3 so I don't know how college's work with women giving birth. For this pregnancy is a dream compared to my son's (no morning sickness or anything) and I am trucking along, though the long walk to campus are getting a bit difficult.

Thanks for letting me and hoping to find some answers of how to do school and mommying at the same time. Oh I must mention that I am planning on nursing this child (nursed my son).

(must add that I really am pregnant, I posted this in my own LJ)

It's your mod here, folks, not a student anymore since I graduated in May. I just realized I should pass the mod-ship onto somebody else! (D'oh! I can't believe it took me so long to think of that!) Anyway, whoever wants to take over, please comment here! I'm sure you know it's not a very active community. Maybe somebody can make it more active. I never really did much with it. *look of shame* So, any takers?

:D

any of you breats feed? looking for recommendations on how to make it work on my return to school.:)