ABSTRACTS OF FEATURE ARTICLES

The Birth of a Second Child: A Unique Impact on the Family System
by Susan S. Bartell
Having a second child can prove to be more challenging for parents than they anticipate, causing them to become anxious, overwhelmed, and even depressed. There are many areas in which parents can be helped to prepare for the transition to having a larger family. Childbirth professionals are in an excellent position to provide parents with anticipatory knowledge as well as support so that parents can enter this next phase of their lives feeling confident and relaxed and with the tools to manage challenges as they arise.
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Multiple Birth Families
by Cindy Carter
As multiple births have risen, gradually there has been a heightened awareness of their unique circumstances. But even within the multiples' population, several subsets exist with groups of families having similar needs. This article will enhance the reader's understanding of some of the paradoxes and challenges multiple families face through their eyes. It will also attempt to alleviate some preconceptions and prejudices, spoken or unspoken, against families that have used fertility treatments to achieve conception. Equipping the childbirth educator with a window into the world of multiples will promote attention to the many facets and distinctive differences among these families.

New Dads in Labor: An Opportunity for Involvement
by William S. Kaplan
Men have historically been relegated to being "visitors" in their children's lives. They have given in to the societal pressures of exclusively acting on their role as providers. This limited role has had a negative effect on men preparing to become first-time fathers and on their children. Childbirth educators have the opportunity to encourage men to engage their other fatherly roles as protectors and nurturers. Methods for encouraging such father involvement form the core of this article.

Postpartum Depression and the Family
by Ann Behnke

Three Not So Easy Steps to Getting Families Off to a Good Start
by Linda todd
Family-centered maternity care (FCMC) thinks in terms of relationships being formed -- and acts to promote and protect those relationships. The value of this is no where more evident than in the care of families during the first year postpartum. This article explores three critical components of family-centered maternity care and offers strategies which professionals can utilize to enhance the effectiveness of their relationships with families. At first review, these may seem obvious. Observation of care provided to new families reveals that implementing these basic tenets of FCMC practice is not so easy.

Bringing Baby Home: A Workshop for New and Expectant Parents
by John M. Gottman, Alyson F. Shapiro, and Joni Parthemer
For as many as 67 percent of new parents, the transition to parenthood is accompanied by sharp declines in relationship quality, significant increases in relationship conflict, increased depression and psychopathology, and decreased quality of the parent-infant interaction. There has been no known psycho-educational intervention that has successfully taught couples the skills that they need to preserve intimacy in their relationship, keep fathers involved with the baby, and help parents understand and appreciate infant development. This article reports on a research-based and research-tested two-day psycho-educational workshop designed to teach couples these skills while experiencing the transition to parenthood.

Breastfeeding's Not as Easy as You Think!
by Hila J. Spear
This article describes a personal encounter that an expectant mother experienced during a routine prenatal office visit. Her story highlights the need for nurses, physicians, and others involved in the care of pregnant and childbearing women to consistently promote breastfeeding as the optimum method for infant nutrition and to seriously evaluate standard practices that are not breastfeeding-friendly.

COLUMNS

Nutrition News
by Dvorka Monti
Can the Family Prevent Obesity in Infants and Children?

Research Review
by Dale King
Dental Radiography and Low Birth Weight

Educator's Corner
by Cheryl Coleman
The Family

The Cochrane Library: What's New and Noteworthy

Resources
by Linda Worzer

Statistics
by Marcy White
Current Trends in Family Demographics

Certification Update