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The second time
around
How to care for yourself while
raising a grandchild
I
t’s an Act 2 you didn’t anticipate.
After your last child left home, you thought your
child-rearing days were over. But now you’re raising a
grandchild—and are back on the job again.
As much as you love your grandson or granddaughter,
watching over a child late in life can be challenging—
physically, emotionally and financially. Still, there are ways
to lighten your load.
First, ask for help. If you’re hesitant, be aware that turn-
ing to others for support is a sign of strength, not weakness.
It shows that you want to do the best possible job of caring
for your grandchild.
You might:
●
●
Make a list of ways—large and small—that others might
lend a hand. Then speak up. Very likely, your family and
friends will want to pitch in. But without direction from
you, they might be unsure about what to do.
●
●
When making that list, be sure to include help with re-
sponsibilities beyond child-rearing. For example, a friend
might take your aging parent to a doctor’s appointment.
Support like this can give you more time and energy to tend
to your grandchild.
●
●
Consider calling a family meeting with close and ex-
tended relatives to discuss how your life, your grandchild’s
life and their lives might change as you all work together.
●
●
Let friends know that you still want to socialize but may
need help with babysitting.
And speaking of needs, yours still matter. Stay physically
active, eat balanced meals and carve out at least some time
for activities you enjoy.
Finally, since raising a grandchild is expensive, see what
financial resources may be available to you at
www.
morehealth.org/guide
.
Sources: AARP; Office on Women’s Health
Pediatric
clinic
welcomes
your family
Same-day
appointments,
extended hours keep
clinic humming
Mercy Pediatric Clinic has been busy
seeing kids of all ages since it opened
in October 2014.
The clinic staff includes longtime
Iowa City pediatrician Shirley Paul, MD,
FAAP; Angela O’Connor, MD, FAAP;
and Lisa Moenning, PA-C. They look
forward to welcoming Kathryn Skopec,
MD, formerly of Pediatric Associates,
in October 2015, and Tori Logan, MD,
in 2016.
Clinic services include well-baby
and well-child visits, immunizations,
acute care for sudden illness, and care
for children with chronic illnesses and
development disabilities.
Mercy Pediatric Clinic
540 E. Jefferson St., Suite 101
Iowa City, Iowa 52245
319-688-PEDS (7337)
Hours:
Monday through Thursday,
7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Same-day appointments available!
CHI LDB I RTH AND
BABY- CARE CLAS SE S
Learning
opportunities
for soon-to-
be parents
If you are expecting your first baby,
you’ll probably have lots of questions
about childbirth. When should I go to
the hospital? How long will labor last?
What pain relief options are there?
Thankfully, those questions (as well
as many you probably haven’t thought
of yet) can be answered through child-
birth education classes. Babies don’t
come with instruction manuals, but
Mercy can help.
Classes for every stage of pregnancy
and baby care are available:
●
●
Beginning With Baby
●
●
Breastfeeding
●
●
Childbirth Education
●
●
Childbirth Preparation
●
●
Easing Through Pregnancy
●
●
Preparing for Pregnancy
●
●
Happiest Baby on the Block
●
●
Heartsaver Baby
●
●
New Brother/New Sister
●
●
Labor and Delivery Basics
●
●
Labor and Delivery Refresher
●
●
Put Safety First
Childbirth education classes help
you and your labor coach—usually
your partner, a family member or a
good friend—prepare together for the
arrival of your
baby. You can
expect to learn
the signs and
stages of labor,
options for man-
aging pain, ways to stay relaxed and
in control during labor, and much
more.
There’s even an option for those
who cannot attend childbirth classes
in person: Understanding Birth eClass.
It’s an interactive, web-based class that
uses videos, personal birth stories,
animations and activities to present all
the essential information parents may
need to prepare for their baby’s birth.
Join us for a class. Our childbirth
education classes will help you feel
more confident about your upcoming
labor and delivery.
For information, contact Mercy
On Call at
319-358-2767
or toll-free
at
800-358-2767
, or visit
www.
mercyiowacity.org/birth-care
.
Check out our health tools, quizzes,
e-newsletters and more online!
Umar Subramaniam, MD, is Mercy’s second pediatric
hospitalist, and Venkedesh Raju, MD, joined the program
in early August. With the three new staff members, a
board-certified pediatrician is available 24 hours a day
at Mercy to care for infants and children in the nursery,
Pediatric Unit or ER. These pediatricians attend births,
visit with every family in the Maternity and Pediatric
units, and see children in the ER as needed.
Among the many benefits of this new service, says
Dr. Stevens, is the fact that a pediatrician is available
in the hospital to spend more time talking to parents
and answering their questions. The group’s neonatology
experience is also making it possible to add services for
babies born prematurely or with particular problems. For
instance, Mercy is now caring for babies born as early as
34 weeks’ gestation.
“Dr. Stevens and the pediatric hospitalists are a won-
derful addition,” says Kristin MacDonald, Nurse Manager
of the Maternity and Pediatric units. “They are always
available right at the start of a baby’s life, and they are
moving our services forward.”
Making a difference
Shirley Paul,
MD, FAAP
Lisa Moenning,
PA-C
Angela
O’Connor, MD,
FAAP
Kathryn
Skopec, MD
—Continued from page 1
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N E W S , V I E W S & T I P S
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