Day 6: Baby steps! Finally getting somewhere!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Can you believe it is day 6 already?! Wow!

On to my news!....

I wasn't too sure how to go about contacting my local clinic considering when I called I really didn't get anywhere... so I went to the website

I first clicked "contact us"...which I circled in blue and labeled as "1"

then I clicked the concerns option which is circled in green and labeled as "2"

and considering I had no idea who the message was being sent to, I said the following:

I just had a few questions about the information your office provides to the families that use your services.

Who provides any/all informational pamphlets that you have available?

Do you provide any information about extended rear facing car seats and the safety benefits?

If I have concerns or questions about introducing another educational car seat pamphlet into the office who would I contact?

I really appreciate your time, thank you

I honestly didn't think that anything would come of that but I was happily surprised this morning when I checked my email and discovered that I had a response.  The woman who responded was wonderfully polite and told me:

In response to your email sent to Marshfield Clinic:
The information that is provided is chosen by the departments responsible for that topic; Pediatrics would decide about car seat information. The material currently used is from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation. When information is available that is current and accurate, the Clinic contracts with that publisher. If nothing is available on a topic, a Clinic health care provider who is knowledgeable on the topic would create a draft and the Clinic would publish it, following patient education guidelines. At the current time we do not feel we need another pamphlet on car seat safety. Pediatrics would have to request more information for it to be considered. Thank you for your interest.

 

I am extremely happy with this response because it thoroughly answered all the questions I had asked.  I did go on to reply to that email and explain that the information provided was outdated as far as the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for car seats goes.  I then immediately was sent an email saying that I should contact my local clinic and that if I would like she would follow up on it.  I sent a detailed message about the outdated information provided and how I felt it could be changed and thanked her once again for her help.

This is extremely motivating!

I am very happy with this glimmer of progress!

I will continue to update as responses to my emails, letters and phone calls reach me.

I would like to thank everyone who reads my blog and has made efforts to verbally spread the message about rear facing. 

Also, I have created a fan page on facebook for this blog!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Extended-Rear-Facing-Movement/185640958120418

Go ahead and 'like' it !

I hope everyone has a wonderful evening and a great morning tomorrow,

Racheal

Day 5: The right approach?

What exactly is the right approach?

Clearly I want to make a change, a large one at that... but how?

It's amazing how nervous I can get while writing a simple letter...I'm never sure how to address the recipient, how to approach the topic without coming across unreasonable.

I am extremely confident in my ability to write a proper letter, I know the format and what I want to get across, yet every time I pull that word document up I freeze.  Why?

It is frustrating.  The weight of what I am trying to do is really pushing down now, and I am realizing this is not going to be an easy accomplishment, its going to test me in my patience, my dedication and my intelligence.  I see this now and I am going to tackle it head on with everything I've got.  I'm not afraid to ask for help, the problem is help is hard to find.  It is very hard to spread the news on ERF when no one wants to listen...but then again I probably wouldn't listen if I were you either...

So that leaves the question of 'what is the right approach' unanswered...

Admittedly today's post hasn't shed new light on anything ERF related really, I don't have any interviews to share, I don't have any new break through or road blocks.

Just a very frustrated author of a very unpopular blog pondering where to start and how.  Until I have an epiphany on the 'right' approach, I'll just have to keep doing what I am doing and hope that something comes of it.

I will stay persistent. I must.

Thank you for reading today,

Racheal

Day 4: You cannot control strangers or wildlife...

Guns don't kill people, people kill people.

Everyone has heard of that, right?

Its a fact though, guns don't load themselves and shoot people all alone, there is someone to pull the trigger.

In a similar sense, cars don't kill people, drivers do.

This is also true, in a car accident typically there is a driver behind the wheel, not a car with a mind of its own.  I think its safe to say that a majority of the time there is a car accident, it is just that...an accident.  I don't believe that there are many people who deliberately hit another car purely to murder a stranger.

That in mind, do you tell your children to 'buckle up'? I imagine so.  I know a few adults who do not believe in wearing seat belts themselves, but these people do make sure that their children have buckled their seat belts.  Why? I think the obvious answer is because it is safe.

I was told through out drivers ed, and by my parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents etc. many times that you might not cause an accident, but you cannot trust the other drivers.  How are you supposed to know for sure that the car in front of you isn't driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol or even just plain tired.  Texting while driving has made the news in a lot of places nowadays, because it is unsafe and dangerous.  These are all 'wild cards' on the road, anyone could be doing it at any time.

Here in Wisconsin we have deer, and a lot of them.  They like fields, pine trees, nice creeks with fresh water...oh and running in front of cars.  I have yet to hear of a deer that spoke English and could read a stop light or used a cross walk.  I feel as though I have a better chance of hitting a deer than another vehicle because they are so unexpected, and that is why we use our 'brights' when we drive.

People purchase car and health insurance every day because it is responsible to plan ahead, to plan for the 'what ifs' in life.  You don't buy car insurance because you PLAN on getting in a wreck, and you don't purchase health insurance because you PLAN on getting very ill.  I view ERF as another form of insurance, one that reassures me that IF I get into a car accident, whether it be by the hands of another driver, the weather, or even a deer, I can know that I took one more step to keep my son safe.  It does ease my mind knowing that every time I buckle my son into his ERF safe car seat I am taking the initiative to do my best to keep him as safe as I can.

~Racheal~

Day 3 & 4: Anti ERF law?!

Yesterday was my birthday, and admittedly I didn't do much.

Yep, got lazy but hey, it was my birthday.

Today I discovered this:

http://www.iihs.org/laws/childrestraint.aspx#WI

and to be honest I am disgusted.

I personally live in Wisconsin...and this is what it says:

children younger than 1 and all children who weigh less than 20 pounds are required to be in a rear-facing infant seat; children 1 through 3 years who weigh at least 20 pounds but less than 40 pounds are required to be in a forward-facing child safety seat; children 4 through 7 who both weigh at least 40 pounds but less than 80 pounds and who are less than 57 inches tall are required to be in a booster seat

You're kidding me!

That is probably why people don't ERF!

It's illegal?
If it is illegal then why did the officer I asked about ERF with my son he said it was okay?

This is misleading information that is now a big thorn in my side.

I will definitely find an answer to why this is published and why its not enforced if its 'required', more importantly why is that 'required'.

I would really like to know what is going on to cause such a law.

This needs to change.

I will make a priority of contacting my local courthouse tomorrow so that I can speak with a law enforcement officer.  I wish that one phone call could change this but that is hardly the case...but I am whole heatedly dedicated to seeing this through.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Have a happy Monday!

~Racheal~

Day 2- Why DONT you ERF?

I am in the process of calling around areas that provide car seat information and asking about getting ERF information available as well, I haven't really gotten anywhere yet, people dont seem to understand what I am asking about and some people are just downright rude, I'll post any and all findings when I have something to report...otherwise....

To begin to tackle the lack of information provided about ERF in our clinics, courthouses, car seat checks, teen pregnancy centers and day cares I want to know why mothers who currently do not extended rear face, continue not to.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions on the topic and I understand THAT
but as an ERF mother I admittedly don't know why people don't do it as well.

I realize this statement is fairly ignorant, but I would like to change that.

I want to know why you don't ERF.

Is it that you aren't/weren't aware of what extended rear facing was?

Were  you told by a care provider to switch your child to forward facing and felt that was best based off of that advice?

Do you/Did you feel that the legal standards for car seats were enough for your child (at least 1 year of age and at least 20 pounds)?

Do you honestly, bluntly, don't think its important or helpful?

Do you feel that car rides are easier when your child is forward facing/do they handle the car ride better that way?

Was the sun shining in your child's eyes and it causes problems and concerns?

I'm sure there are plenty of other reasons out there, but if you can, please comment on this post (feel free to do so anonymously.


I really appreciate the insight!

Day 1

Hello,

Today is the first day of my blog, and the first day of my movement.
Let me start by introducing myself and what I am so passionate about.

My name is Racheal, I am the mother to a beautiful son, Aiden-Liam. I am currently in the beginning stages of pursing a career in Nurse Midwifery. I’m just like any other mother in the sense that I feel like there are simply not enough hours in the day to get everything done that I would like to. Although that is true I have recently found myself extremely passionate about spreading information on extended rear facing and the benefits.

I first found out about extended rear facing (ERF) when I was pregnant and searching the common concerns and questions about pregnancy and child birth online. I, like most people, originally thought that once your child has met the legal requirements (one year old, weighs at least 20 pounds) that you automatically switch their car seat to forward facing.

I was wrong.

I discovered, through many helpful websites and other mothers that you do not need to switch them forward facing, in fact it is safer to keep your child rear facing until s/he reach the height and weight restrictions for your car seat. I am not a professional or an expert of any kind, therefore throughout my blog I will reference the sources of any statistics, quotes, and information that I post.

“Rear-facing as long as possible is the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatricians, and can reduce injuries and deaths. Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 overall cause of death for children 14 and under.” - http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

Extended rear facing is a simple, no fuss way to help ensure your child’s safety. All you really need to ERF is a car seat that is rear facing compatible (a convertible one works well) and if at all possible, purchase one with a hefty height and weight restriction on it so that your child can stay rear facing as long as possible.

“Children should face the rear of the vehicle until they are at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 lb to decrease the risk of cervical spine injury in the event of a crash. Infants who weigh 20 lb before 1 year of age should ride rear facing in a convertible seat or infant seat approved for higher weights until at least 1 year of age.

When looking at photos of older children rear facing a lot of times you notice that their legs appear to be ‘cramped’, this raises the question:

Wont their legs break in a car accident if they are rear facing?

This website: http://www.carseatsite.com/FAQ.htm#Rear-Facing Seats addresses that question beautifully, as well as some other concerns that I have referenced below.

• “My baby's legs touch the back seat. Is this safe?It is just fine. There have not been any documented cases of children breaking their legs in crashes simply because their legs touched the back seat while they were rear-facing. There have been many documented cases of children breaking their necks in crashes because they were turned forward-facing too early. There have been anecdotal instances where children have broken legs in severe crashes, but it's also quite possible that severe spinal injuries could have occured in those crashes. Leg injuries heal, spinal injuries don't. In a frontal collision, the legs will fly up and away from the back seat.
  　
  
  • My rear-facing baby's head flops forward when she sleeps and she looks uncomfortable. What can I do?
  The angle for the car seat should be around 45 degrees for newborns, although the older the baby, the more upright s/he can be. A more upright seat is safer for older babies (5-6+ months) because it decreases the chance they will "ramp up" the seat in a crash. If your baby's head flops down to her chest when s/he's asleep, the angle is probably wrong. Increase the angle until 45 degrees is met, but no more than that (it's okay to guestimate)
   
  • When can I turn my baby forward-facing?
  After age 1 AND 20 lbs. at the bare minimum according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. You won't find a reputable CPS Tech who will suggest forward-facing at such a young age. It is preferable to have babies rear-facing past their first birthday, since a car seat that faces the rear of the car provides the most protection in a crash. Babies' neck BONES aren't ossified, or hardened, until they are around 1 year old (1 year adjusted age for preemies). Until that time, they risk severe spinal injuries if they are forward-facing in a collision. One study found that children under age 2 are at least 4 times more likely to be injured in side impact crashes　
  

I realize not every parent has a computer, or has heard of extended rear facing, and that is why I am doing this. I want this information to be available to all parents everywhere, just like the information that you probably see in pamphlets in your doctors office every visit.

I hope that you follow me throughout this process and try to spread the word about ERF yourself.

I encourage everyone to visit the wonderful sites that I have listed today and do some research on your own.

Thank you for reading!