Poverty in the State of Louisiana

I am particularly interested in this state because it is where both my husband and I are from and we both have a huge percentage of our family who still live there.

The following link depicts the poverty in my home state, Louisiana:

http://www.hopenetworks.org/povertyinlouisiana.htm



The following link is a document discussing solutions to end poverty in the state of Louisiana:

http://www.ifedgbr.com/files/poverty/governorsummit.pdf

Overcoming Poverty

My husband and I both grew up in poverty.  Although our stories are very different, they are very similar as well.  My mother was a single parent and worked very hard to try and make ends meet although most times we struggled even to the point of not always having enough food to eat.  I overcame poverty by getting a job at the age of 14 to try and help my mom and making the tough decision to join the US Army after graduating high school in order to prevent my mother from having to pay for me to go to college.  I celebrated my 18th birthday while in Basic Training (boot camp) and served for 6 years.  My military experience was amazing.  I learned so many things such as discipline, team building and most importantly a skill that afforded me the opportunity to obtain a job after leaving the army earning a salary that was more than enough to make sound investments and along with my husband, provide a great home for our family.  I have been very fortunate to remove myself from poverty by getting a good education and maintaining skills that help make a good salary.
My husband's mother was also a single parent however, she passed away when he was only 11 years old.  He has never known his father which meant that he had to live with his older siblings until he was old enough to make the tough decision to also join the US Army.  We met and together have overcome the cycle of poverty.

Breastfeeding in Mongolia

This is a very interesting article on Breastfeeding in Mongolia

http://www.drmomma.org/2009/07/breastfeeding-in-land-of-genghis-khan.html

Breastfeeding

I am a firm believer in breastfeeding.  Although very time consuming, the payoff is priceless!  When
I became a mother for the first time, I didn't understand the value of breastfeeding and the medical bills confirmed that.  After becoming better educated about the subject, I tried breastfeeding and the benefits have been very healthy children as well as lower medical bills.  I recommend it to every mother out there.  I didn't do it for a very long time but committing to breastfeeding for at least a month will be very rewarding.

Kenyan Childbirth

Please click on the link below to view a childbirth in Kenya.  Kenyan Childbirth
It is very sad to know that children are born in such unhealthy and poor conditions.  As I watched this video, I felt so very blessed to have had my children in safe environments so that when I began to have complications during the delivery of my last child, there were people there with specialized equipment to act quickly.

Childbirth X's 4

I am the very proud mother of 4 beautiful children.  I know...I know...YES 4 children.  Each birth was just as unique as each of my children's personalities.  The way they each acted in the womb is how they act now.  My youngest daughter was a "flipper" in the wound and she loves to flip and wiggle even now at 10 years old.  All but one of the births were natural births.  My last child was the biggest and the only one I had to have a cesarean with.  She went into distress so they had to hurry and get her out.  Childbirth is one of the most difficult but yet the most amazing experiences a woman could ever experience.  To feel a child grow inside of you and then actually see the child born and look into their eyes for the first time is indescribable.