Parenting? Stay SAFE from alcohol and drugs

Start

where you are

Parenting is the start of a long journey... and it is hard work! Anything you do to take care of yourself and stay healthy, that is a way you are also caring for your child.

Remember, you are not alone. Take one day at a time. It is never too late to get started on your recovery.
Make your recovery a priority.
Self-care is child care.
Remember, you are not alone. Take one day at a time. It is never too late to get started on your recovery.
Make your recovery a priority.
Self-care is child care.

Ask

for help

Feeling overwhelmed is normal. Build a support team around you, other adults who you trust and can support you, your child, and your recovery. Your support team may include:

A nurse or social worker can meet you in your home or virtually to help you take care of yourself and your child through the first few years of their life. This is a free and voluntary program.

A free program that supports your child’s development either with in-home services or childcare centers services.
ask-for-help

Staying S.A.F.E.1

Parenting is a hard job, one that requires careful attention, especially if you are trying to keep an infant or young children safe. Keeping a child safe means paying attention to the environments that they live, play and sleep in. Drug or alcohol use may make it harder for a parent to attend to their child. If you feel you cannot keep your child safe, ask for help from another trusted adult.
1. The First Year: The Journey Project. https://journeyrecoveryproject.com/the-first-year/.
Prescriptions

Young children are naturally curious and can get into any drugs or prescribed medicines that are not safely stored. They may unintentionally swallow or eat something that is not meant for them. Always keep prescriptions and any drugs or medicines out of the reach of children, in a keyed locked medicine cabinet is best. Dispose of old prescriptions medicines safely. For more information on safe drug storage and disposal, go to helpisherede.com.

Tobacco

Smoking and vaping by parents and caregivers who are around infants and young children can affect the children’s health. Of the 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke at least 250 are known to be harmful and 69 cause cancer1.

Exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke puts young children at risk for learning problems, ear infections, asthma, or more serious breathing problems when they get a cold or virus2.

There is NO safe amount of secondhand smoke (breathing smoke in the air from someone smoking nearby, especially in an enclosed place like the home or car) and thirdhand smoke (a baby inhales the toxins from the clothing, hair, and skin of someone who smokes.)

Vaping

E-cigarettes and vaping are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women or adults who do not currently use tobacco products3.

They are marketed to be “less harmful”, but in reality, they are “not harmless.” Recent research performed by John Hopkins University found there were nearly 2,000 chemicals in many popular vaping products4.

Just like secondhand smoke, if you breathe in secondhand vapor/aerosol you’re exposed to nicotine, and all the other harmful chemicals. Please keep vaping liquids (i.e., E-liquids/E-Juice) away from children and pets because it is highly poisonous when swallowed or absorbed through the skin.

There are many ways to parent3

You are good enough to be a parent. You do not need to have a different past. There is nothing you need to make up for.

Be here now, as you can, with your child. Provide safety, love, structure and boundaries. Your child needs you, showing up day after day, for them.

3. Women with Older Children: The Journey Project. https://journeyrecoveryproject.com/women-with-older-children/.

There are many ways to parent3

You are good enough to be a parent. You do not need to have a different past. There is nothing you need to make up for.

Be here now, as you can, with your child. Provide safety, love, structure and boundaries. Your child needs you, showing up day after day, for them.

3. Women with Older Children: The Journey Project. https://journeyrecoveryproject.com/women-with-older-children/.

Resources

for mental health and addiction

Mental illness and addiction can affect anyone. No one has to struggle alone. Choose the best way to get the care you need, right here in Delaware. All of the below services are free through helpisherede.com, and any referrals are available to you, whether you have insurance or not.
Facts about Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a synthetic drug making its way into all kinds of other drugs. Fentanyl is showing up in cocaine, heroin, marijuana, PCP, and other street drugs — causing overdoses and deaths. If you use drugs, you may be at risk for taking fentanyl without even knowing it.
Safe Drug Storage & Disposal
Keep prescription drugs locked up to prevent them from falling into the hands of others. Dispose of unwanted and unused prescriptions in one of Delaware’s prescription drug drop boxes.

Feeding a 6-7 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon and from a bowl, never from a bottle.

Feeding a 10-12 Month Old

Breast milk is the most important source of nutrition for your baby, even after you start offering solid foods.

Feeding a 8-9 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon. Never put cereal in a bottle.

Tips

Mom new born home

Breast milk and formula feeding:

Around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of age, babies may experience a growth spurt when they feed more often.

As they grow babies can hold more milk, so feedings may become further apart and take less time.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Start offering whole milk when your baby is one year old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months and beyond.

feeding solid foods

Feeding solid foods:

Wait to offer solid foods until your baby:

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Try one new food at a time. Wait 5 days before trying another new food to watch for allergies. Food allergies may include wheezing, rash, or diarrhea.

Introduce peanut butter around 6 months. Spread a small, thin smear of peanut butter or nut butter thinly on a cracker.  Watch your baby for any reaction for the next 2 hours.

Babies under one year should NOT have honey due to the risk of botulism. Also, babies should not have foods that can cause choking like nuts or whole grapes.

All babies are different. Talk with WIC or your baby’s healthcare provider about your baby’s needs.

Feeding Cues

Feeding a 4-5 Month Old

Before teeth come in, wipe gums with a soft, clean wash cloth after each feeding, especially before bed.

Feeding a 0-3 Month Old

Newborns have tiny tummies and need to be fed often. In the first few weeks, you may need to wake your baby to feed if they sleep longer than 4 hours.

Growth Spurts

Many babies are fussy during a growth spurt and will want to nurse longer and more often. This is called cluster feeding. This is your baby’s way of helping you increase your milk supply so that you can keep up with their needs. Remember, the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body makes.

Growth spurts can happen at any time, and every baby is different.

They often happen at these ages:

two-three-weeks

2 to 3 Weeks

6 Weeks

three-months

3 Months

six-months

6 Months

What foods can I get?