From a Birthmother!!

http://www.cdc.gov/features/AlcoholFASD/index.html
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDC Features -  Current Features

Alcohol During Pregnancy Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause FASDs.
(Published: August 31, 2012)

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day

September 9^th is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) Awareness Day. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause FASDs. Read about Melissa’s experience with alcohol use during pregnancy. Information about the new FASD app is also provided.

Alcohol During Pregnancy: Melissa’s Story
This is the story of Melissa’s experience with alcohol use during pregnancy and her journey to find the best possible care for her son.
Watch Melissa’s Full Story on Video

“I drank at the beginning of my pregnancy, before I found out I was pregnant. My doctor told me that it was okay to continue to drink wine during pregnancy. He said I could have a glass of wine at night with dinner. He said it might even help me relax and improve circulation. Not only did I think drinking wine during pregnancy was okay, but I thought that it could be healthy. He never asked me if I had a drinking problem, or how many drinks I have a day, or if I binge drink. There wasn’t any dialogue. I really wish that my doctor would have had more dialogue or asked me questions about drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

“When my son was born he looked perfect. He has amazing strengths. He’s brilliant and he’s an amazing musician. However, as he got older I realized that things just weren’t quite right. He doesn’t like how clothes feel. He wore the same outfit for almost a year. I finally found a pair of socks that he would wear. Then the company stopped making the sock. That wouldn’t be a big deal for most people, but it was a terrifying moment for me. We went through about 25 packages of socks before we found a new brand that he would wear.

“On his first day of kindergarten, the school called me because he had turned over all of the chairs that people weren’t sitting in, turned over items in the kitchen area in the classroom, and thrown his shoes at the teacher.

“Most kids will get mad when they have to end play dates or sleepovers. But instead of just getting mad, my son tried to jump out of the car the other day because he had to leave a sleepover.

“When I finally realized what was going on, it was a relief, and it was horrifying, and I felt guilty, and I felt ashamed. But mostly I felt relieved to know what was going on.

“If a pregnant woman said to me, ‘I drink a little bit here and there and I was told it was okay,’ I would tell her that she wouldn’t if she had to live just one day with the way that I feel about myself, knowing how my son has been affected by my choices.

“I am angry that I was given wrong information about drinking during pregnancy. I want to tell as many people as I can about it. You never know how much alcohol during pregnancy is too much, so why take that chance?”

CDC would like to give a special thanks to Melissa and the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) for sharing this story with us. Read more personal stories on the NOFAS website >>


What We Know

There is no guaranteed safe level of alcohol use at any time during your pregnancy or even when you’re trying to get pregnant.

• Alcohol can cause problems for your unborn baby throughout your pregnancy, including before you know you are pregnant.
• All kinds of alcohol should be avoided, including red or white wine, beer, and liquor.
• If you are pregnant and have been drinking, it’s never too late to stop.

 

Reasons Why

• When you drink, your baby drinks, and that can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).
• FASDs include a wide range of physical and mental disabilities and lasting emotional and behavioral problems.
• You may not know right away if your child has been affected. FASDs include a range of physical and intellectual disabilities that are not always easy to identify when a child is a newborn. Some of these effects may not be known until your child is in school.

 

What You Can Do

• FASDs are 100% preventable. By not drinking, you have the power to improve your child’s chances of a healthy start.
• The sooner you stop drinking, the better it will be for both you and your baby. If you are pregnant and have been drinking, talk to your doctor or nurse.
• There is no cure for FASDs. However, identifying children with these conditions as early as possible can help them to reach their full potential.

 

 

 

FASD Awareness

During Pregnancy No Amount of Alcohol Is Safe – Not A Single Drop

 

Published: Friday, August 31, 2012 5:04 PM EDT

 

Medina County, OHIO – When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her unborn child. Each year, nearly 40,000 children are born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). It is the leading known cause of preventable birth defects.

 

FASD can cause serious:

 

•Mental challenges

•Behavioral Challenges

• Physical Challenges

 

The ninth day of the ninth month is a reminder to women to abstain from alcohol during all nine months of pregnancy.

 

“FASD is 100 percent preventable,” Pam Shank, RD, LD, CLC said. “Women who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant need to know that no amount of alcohol is safe – not a single drop.”

 

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy has increased. The following are statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health for pregnant women 15-44 years of age:

 

•10.6 percent reported drinking alcohol while pregnant

•4.5 percent reported binge drinking, which is four or more drinks in a row

•0.8 percent reported heavy drinking

• Binge drinking during the first-trimester of pregnancy more than doubled in comparison to the previous survey

Newspaper article on our upcoming fundraiser and Kennan

This is a link to the article the local newspaper did for us on Sunday.

Family needs funds to get 4 Paws for Ability service dog - MessengerNews.net | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Info. - The Messenger

FASD Slide Show-R

FASD Awareness Day

September 9 is National/International Awareness Day.

Every year on September 9th, International FASD Awareness Day is observed. Proclamations are issued in countries, states, provinces, and towns all around the world. Bells are rung at 9:09 a.m. in every time zone from New Zealand to Alaska. People all around the world gather for events to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy and the plight of individuals and families who struggle with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The first FASDay was celebrated on 9/9/99. This day was chosen so that on the ninth day of the ninth month of the year, the world will remember that during the nine months of pregnancy a woman should abstain from alcohol. Anytime is a good time to raise awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). 

Remember         0 - 4 - 9 .  Zero alcohol for the Nine months you are pregnant!

FASD's are  100% preventable.

The Beginning of 3rd Grade

Well, we mostly survived the first day of school yesterday! But not without drama on Sunday night and last night. Sunday night was major melt. Kennan was way keyed up and over stimulated. Temper tantrums in sued. De-escalating is really hard for him when we are dealing with multiple strong emotions and over stimulation makes it even harder.
Yesterday he reported that school was boring (his words not mine) and all they did was review old things (he didn't learn a single new fact - again his words not mine). But by evening tantrums once again and a hard time winding down. He keeps everything in check at school and unleashes when he gets home. We offered him several ways to try and regain his calm but each was systematically rejected as he was hyper focused on the emotions of the moment.
The worst thing is that we haven't even started with homework yet (sometime in the next few days) and in the past this has led to even great battles. Oh the joys! :) So it is off to the school year races once again. 

The T-Shirt

Sorry for the delay in posting this. But as you can see it is official. This will be the T-Shirt worn by those participating in our Fun Run event. Thanks to all of you who voted!  :)