Cape Cod Moms Parent Pod Features Elana Doyle: How Women Have Been Affected by the Pandemic11/12/2020 Join us weekly on Thursday nights for "The Parent Pod"! This weekly live virtual show on Facebook and now YouTube explores local family friendly businesses, highlights local parents, discusses important topics, spreads some kindness and more! Replay below! This week we are joined by special guest, Elana Doyle to discuss how women, especially mothers have been affected by the pandemic. Elana Doyle is a life long resident of Cape Cod. Currently raising her family with her husband Kyle in Mashpee, she left the local banking industry to stay at home with her children. She works with various organizations to help better her community and knows the importance of volunteer work and increasing civic engagement. Elana is an advocate for Cape housing, young families and small business through social media and policy advocacy. Elana holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, an Associates degree from Cape Cod Community College and is a graduate of the Campaign School at Yale. So pencil in on your calendar that this week at 8pm-this hour is for you! We will also be doing some fun giveaways including our kindness bag! If you want to nominate someone for a giveaway or share a funny story see our links below: Quotes/ Stories Parenting Stories or Random Acts of Kindness https://linktr.ee/capecodmoms As we move forward Cape Cod Moms will continue to help connect our families and caregivers to amazing resources and locals in our community. Each week we go LIVE on Facebook and YouTube with replays available on our website and Instagram) with a special guest.
If you want to nominate someone for a giveaway or share a funny story see our links below: Quotes/ Stories Parenting Stories (we keep it anonymous) Random Acts of Kindness Submit your questions for a guests here If YOU or your business is interested in being featured or you want to join our team please email us at info@capecodmoms.com
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Cape Cod Moms Adviser, Gary DellaPosta, CPA was recently awarded a 2017 Breastfeeding – Friendly Employer Award from the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition. This award is given to employers who are supportive to breastfeeding mothers and their children. This is the second time our office has received this award. All award recipients were showcased at the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition annual conference on September 25, 2017 at the Massachusetts Medical Society. The criteria that they look for with employers are: • A private space for employees to pump/express breast milk or nurse their babies. • Flexibility for employees to bring young babies to work with them. • Regular break times or a more flexible work schedule to facilitate pumping/nursing. • Access to an electric breast pump. • A refrigerator for storage of expressed breast milk, and sink area for cleaning equipment. • Services of a lactation consultant. • Information on workplace breastfeeding support services to all employees. Congratulations to Gary DellaPosta, CPA on this award and for helping to support working women.  Hi Everyone! My name is Tara McGinn and I am a local stay at home mom on Cape Cod. I am also an Independent Designer for Origami Owl. I wanted to introduce myself and the product. Origami Owl is the company that created the Living Locket. The Living Locket tells your story, your goals and passion with over 200 charms. They also spread the mission " A Force For Good " and 'Pay it Forward" motto. I love this company and what it stands for. I also do a lot of Fundraisers, At home parties, Vendor events or just last minute request for gifts. These products are awesome, unique, pieces of Jewelry. So if you are interested in hosting a fun party or learn more about Origami owl , please Stop by my Facebook page and be kind and like my page too! Thanks and Enjoy the weekend. 
Mothers are entering or continuing in the workforce more than ever and, sooner than ever after childbirth. Can you breastfeed and work? YES, and pumping is a valuable part of this balance. There are three things that can help to insure a positive breastfeeding and working relationship. The Right Pump The right pump is: double, electric, and NOT your friend’s pump she only used twice! If you are working more than one or two days a week, I would suggest using a double electric pump. A double pump is more efficient and effective, as well as easy to use. One caveat: Do not borrow your cousin’s pump or buy one on ebay!! You can buy a new pump (shower gift?), ask for one from your insurance company, or, if you are a WIC client, ask for a rental from your local office (*I can help with the last two options – email me). Think about where you will be pumping, as some pumps come with a car charger and/or battery pack. The Right PlanThe right plan: I recommend starting to pump and store milk at least two weeks before you return to work. Try pumping in the morning, when milk supply is usually high, and start accumulating a reserve in theefrigerator or freezer*. Look at your work schedule and map out a preliminary schedule, with break times for pumping (see an example below). If possible, return to work on a Thursday or Friday. This enables you to see how things go while having a few days to tweak your plan before starting a full work week. Sample BF/Work Plan 6 am Nurse and pump (bf one side, pump one side, or nurse both, then pump after) 8am Nurse at home (or daycare) 10am Pump during work break 1pm Pump at lunch break 4pm Pump during work break 6pm Nurse at home 9pm Nurse at bedtime Late Night nursing The Right SupportThe right support: Try to get supports in place ahead of time. Ask your boss about break times, places to pump, and flexibility in your hours. Ideally, you will have a private space (not a bathroom) to pump and access to a refrigerator or cooler for storage (don’t forget to label!). Talk to your child care providers (have a back-up!) and make sure they understand how to store and use expressed breast milk. Finally, know your rights. Recent legislation requires companies of 50 employees or more to provide breaks and a place to pump for nursing moms. See the full provision here. You can do this! Babies who are breastfed are healthier and that means fewer missed work days for you, as well as continued health and happiness for both you and your baby. 
 Today we are featuring a Guest Post from Ashley of the blog: Memoirs of a Modern Day Wife! If you haven't checked out her blog yet, you are definitely missing out! After you read this fantastic post, head on over to read more!
There is a lot to be said for the woman who stays home, raises her children, and takes care of everything house related, but there is also a lot to be said for the working wife and mother. There is always this internal struggle in the mind of a woman, between what is right and what is wrong in regards to how to raise happy children and how to keep her home in order. Whether she makes the choice to become a stay at home mother or a working mother-she is judged. One night last week my school aged son did not have enough time to do his homework. He is a proud Cub Scout and had a Cub Scout awards ceremony to attend, in which he was the recipient of several awards. My son didn't arrive home until 9pm that night, and he was exhausted. I weighed the consequence of making him stay up late to do his homework, with the consequence of not doing his homework so he could go to bed. I figured it would be best to send him to bed so he wasn't sleep deprived the next morning (I wake him up to get ready for school every morning at the asinine hour of 6:15am). I then wrote to his teacher telling her that he would make up his homework the next night. A couple days later, I received a call from his teacher asking, if next time, we could squeeze his homework in before he attends any extracurricular events. I replied explaining that there is not enough time to squeeze in his homework from the time I get home from work in the afternoon, until the time he leaves for his activities. That I do not have the pleasure of going home after picking my son up from the bus stop because I have to go back to work-and he comes with me. That he cannot do his homework while I am at work, because i takes me standing over him to get his homework done-and I cannot stand over him because I'm working. On top of all that, the after school program at my sons school is ridiculously overpriced. I could send him there, but I would have to work more hours just to afford it. I could hire a nanny for a few hours a day, and yet again work more hours to afford that service as well. More hours at work equals less time with my children, and I already feel that I'm robbed time with my kids because of my job. You see, there is very little balance in a working woman's life-and this homework example is just one of many examples in which I'm not able to bend and mold my schedule to other people's expectations of me. A working wife and mother works because she has to, not because she wants to. Her decision to work and not stay home is driven by a financial force, not a selfish force. What people don't know is that I would give my most prized possessionsto be able to stay home, but we need a roof over our head, food to eat, and heat to keep us warm. These things are not valuable possessions; they are the basic necessary needs of every family in the world-and it just so happens that I need to work to help provide them. When I am old and saggy, I'll be able to reflect on the past knowing I did my family right by working. Every wife and mother wants to know that she can look back in the past and be proud. People who judge working wives and mothers need to take a step back and think about it before judging. Sometimes what you think you see, and think you know, isn't a reality. I can proudly say my children are healthy, they are happy, and they want for nothing. Maybe a night of homework gets missed, but it will get made up the very next night. Maybe we don't eat dinner together every night, but we still have nutritious food to eat nonetheless. Maybe I am missing out on a lot of time during some of the best years with my kids, but they wouldn't be the best years if I didn't have money to provide my family with basic needs. I give credit to both working mothers and stay at home mothers. Our jobs are totally different, but as equally challenging. A woman has so many more responsibilities then she did 50 years ago. Tread lightly, stop judging, and remember that every family is different, yet totally amazing in their uniqueness. ~ Ashley Check out Ashley's Blog: Memoirs of a Modern Day Wife!  As parents, we constantly question ourselves on every decision we make. "Is this in our son's best interests?", "How will our son be affected by our decision to move?", "If we don't give him green veggies at dinner every night, will he get enough iron?", "If we bring him out for a walk and he has a sniffle, will he get sick?", "Are we spoiling him by cuddling with him to sleep?", "Should we bring him back into our bed since he loves sleeping between us?", "If we go out for a night, will he go to sleep for someone else?".... I could go on and on and on... because HE is in our EVERY thought. Lately, as his parents we have begun questioning whether we are doing the right thing by having both of us work full time and having him in daycare full time. This is a tough one! Ideally, Brandon and I would love to hit it big and have millions so we could stay home with our son and not miss a single moment as well as show him the world, but that is not reality. Reality is...... the economy kind of well SUCKS, health and life insurances are a necessity, bills are never ending, and our child's education and future must be saved for. As a young adult, I would often dream of the day when I finally had children! Oh the dreams or rather fantasies.... of staying home with them, teaching them about the world, being there to witness EVERY moment. I always wanted to be a stay at home mom, but life has other plans for me right now. I know that my son needs health insurance and I am the parent who carries it from work. I know that I need life insurance in case something happens, my son will be taken care of and I am the parent who carries it from work. I know that by Brandon working full time, we have enough to live in a comfortable place. I know that socialization from daycare is great for my son..... but the GUILT... oh the guilt. It always comes creeping in doesn't it? There are ONLY 24 hours in a day. 24 hours a day to create memories with your child. Let's break it down: 11-12 hours sleeping each night and 8 hours at daycare.... that leaves 4 hours a day that we have to spend with our child each day. Now let's break down a week: 168 hours in a week, 84 hours spent sleeping at night, 40 hours spent at daycare, leaving us with 44 hours a week to spend with our son.... and not only 44 hours a week to spend with our son, but also to split up between family, friends, etc. That means that a third of the day is the time we spend with our son! Not even HALF!!!! Seriously his dreams see him more than I do! Now let's break down a year: 8760 hours in a year, 4380 hours spent sleeping, 2080 hours spent at daycare, leaving us with 2300 hours a year with our son. That amounts to 182 days a year are gone to SLEEP, 86.67 days spent at daycare and...... 95.83 days out of 365 that we actually see and interact with our child. That's LESS than a third! I know that staying at home with our son would not be an easy or glamorous job because I watch my friends struggle with their own battles of that lifestyle, but I have to admit.... I'm envious of those moms who get to do it. Come on, admit, we have all been jealous of each other! I have heard some SAH moms say, "oh you can do it too, you just have to be careful what you spend and careful with your budget." I don't know if it is that easy though. The problem is that all parents have different goals and plans in mind for our families, so what works for one definitely does not work for all. I wish there was a cookie cutter lifestyle though that did accomodate every family unit's needs, but again.... NOT REALITY. As I sit here today, I am somewhat melancholy about our decisions to both work full time. Life does not give me easy decisions anymore. That all changed 1 year ago when I was given the greatest gift and responsibility I would EVER have: my son! I question whether I will later regret the decision to work full time as the little moments slip by us. Is the future we are building worth the sacrifices we are making now? We have no way of knowing but I'm haunted by the Darius Rucker song "It Won't Be Like This For Long..... I'm just trying to hold on. |
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