[blparent] Child Protective Services

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

Hi, Bridgit.  That is a funny story, but I might be able to shed some light 
on why the doctor asked that specific odd question.  I have hair down to the 
middle of my back, and the home nurse mentioned to me not long after Sarah 
was born that once in a while, mothers with long hair will find, after their 
babies have cried and cried and cried and nothing will stop them, that a 
hair has gotten wrapped around one of their tiny fingers.  It's not the 
first thing they think of, either.  She said that if ever I had fed Sarah, 
changed her, and so forth, and she wouldn't stop crying, to check her little 
fingers for tightly wrapped hairs.  I don't know how that translated into 
your doctor bringing up a string, that does seem strange.  Go figure.

Jo Elizabeth

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, 
compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of 
the weak and the strong.  Because someday in life you will have been all of 
these."--George Washington Carver, 1864-1943, American scientist

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 2:32 PM
To: <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [blparent] Child Protective Services

> Jo Elizabeth,
>
> Very good advice. I have a funny story on this topic though, kind of.
>
> After our first ultrasound back in early January, one of our doctors,
> who is truly supportive, asked if we would have support once the baby
> arrives. We of course said yes, and like you, left it at that. She then,
> however, went on to ask a very specific question: Do you have someone
> who can check the baby's fingers to make sure a string isn't tied around
> it? I wasn't angry, but I had to check myself from laughing. It was such
> a specific concern, and not one likely to be overly concerned about just
> yet with a newborn infant, grin. I'm not even entirely sure how such a
> young infant could manage to wrap string around their finger, though
> certainly things can happen, but I would be more concerned about such an
> issue when the baby was older and more mobile. Penny didn't start
> getting into such scrapes until she was beginning to role over and was
> reaching for stuff. Plus, especially as a blind parent, I will be
> touching every inch of my child's body quite frequently, so the chances
> of a string being caught around their finger is not that great of a
> concern. Of all the questions to ask, this one? Ha-ha!
>
> Sincerely,
> Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Read my blog at:
> http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
>
> "History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
> The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan
>
> Message: 11
> Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:26:40 -0700
> From: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto" <jopinto at msn.com>
> To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Child Protective Services
> Message-ID: <SNT116-DS3691D05FAA0DE30AB7C89AC640 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
> Wow, isn't it something when people can't mind their own business?
> Social
> Services came out once when Sarah was about nine months old because
> someone
> reported that I was living alone with no support and I had a vicious
> dog.
> Sarah's dad happened to answer the door because he was in fact living
> with
> me, and my guide dog tried to lick the social worker to death.  She
> wrote a
> report saying the concerns were unfounded, and she hasn't been back.
>
> I was asked in the hospital if I would have help at home, and I said
> yes,
> without defining what that help would be.  I was alone all day with
> Sarah
> starting from when she was a week old, but her dad would be home at
> night,
> and I still have a circle of friends, any of whom would be here in no
> time
> if I asked.  I think all new moms need help and support, so if your
> doctor
> questions you, I wouldn't recommend saying you'll be doing everything on
>
> your own.  But you don't have to go into more detail than is asked for,
> either.
>
> Jo Elizabeth
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blparent mailing list
> blparent at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> blparent:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/jopinto%40msn.com
>