Live Support

Happy Monday to all! I am so thankful that God has blessed us with yet another wonderful day on the exciting road of motherhood. As I type, I am in the midst of a battle with an online company via live support chat. So I have been diligently working on getting my laptop back up and running. Will this saga ever end? A couple of weeks ago I ordered the power cord for my laptop and received it last week. Unfortunately, the power cord isn’t charging the battery so the laptop shuts off soon after start up. Therefore, I tried to contact the company via phone with no answer and then decided to use the live chat option. It seems as though the representatives that are on the live chat are not very competent. So then I tried to call the company again only to speak with a foreigner that I can’t even understand! I would much rather have a direct connection with someone that understands me and my problem.

This led me to a much needed moment of PRAYER! Who better to have a live support connection with than Jesus Himself? I had to realize that in moments like these, we need to stop and have some time with the real live support line. I am so grateful that we have a direct connection with Jesus. There was once a time when we as Christians had to go through the High Priest. However, now we don’t have to go through a man here on earth to resolve our issues. We can go to the Lord directly. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16).

It’s funny how God gives you an awesome revelation at just the right time. As parents we are often hit with unexpected road blocks and moments of frustration. Although, we must remember that we can instantaneously enter into live chat support with Jesus and everything will turn out just fine.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,


Shonte’ Press

Feature Friday

Congratulations, you made it through another week in the life of a Saved M.O.M.! Here at savedmom.com we take time out on Fridays to feature Saved M.O.M.’s . There are so many wonderful mothers that don’t get the recognition they deserve. I am proud to say that this week’s Feature Friday is dedicated to Taleea D. Mungin. She currently resides in Fort Worth, TX and is the mother of five. She is such an energetic and joy filled mother. Sometimes I wonder just how she does it all!

Taleea was living in Germany at the time that she received Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. She explained, “I was depressed and feeling like I was missing something. I heard a voice say, “You have tried everything else now try Jesus.” I used to go to a hair stylist in Germany and she led me to the Lord. I started attending her church and that is where I got born-again.” That was on Easter Sunday in 1997. God has been doing a miraculous work in Taleea ever since and her light truly shines for all to see.

When I asked Taleea what being a Saved M.O.M. means to her she said, “Being a Saved M.O.M. to me means enjoying a spirit-filled life. I have never known such peace and security. It is not always easy, but God’s grace is sufficient.” Her children love and respect her. They understand that she is saved and that they are under the blood of Christ as well. Taleea went on to say, “It is wonderful to watch my daughter Moneeka follow in my footsteps as a singer. She is very active in Youth ministry and she loves the Lord. I do have older children, who are not where I want them to be, but I am a praying mother and I know that the prayers of the righteous availeth much.”

Her favorite scripture is Psalms 91:1, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” God’s love, protection, provision and instructions can be found in that scripture. Taleea explained, “Every time I feel weak or discouraged I read Psalm 91. He hides me from my enemies. He gives His angels charge over me just like He did for Jesus. God’s word is true to this day. He has always loved me and my family. I could go on and on about God’s goodness and mercy. He even protects us from ourselves, now that is grace and mercy!”

When asked if she had any words to leave as inspiration for other mothers Taleea said, “Always pray over your children and ask God for wisdom. He says His wisdom is far more precious than diamonds and precious stones. Love God first, your spouse second and then your children, because God will always direct your path if you put Him first. He will always lead you in the right direction.”

Taleea is currently working on her Bachelors degree in English and Education and her Masters in Children’s counseling. She believes that children need to know that there are people out here that love them for who they are. She said, “They need to know God loves them and they have hope.”

Be sure to tune in Monday for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (http://www.savedmom.com/), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,


Shonte’ Press

Word Wednesday

Today is officially “Word Wednesday” otherwise known as “Hump Day.” We’ve made it half way through yet another week on the wonderful, exciting and bumpy road of motherhood. Therefore, some of us are looking for some encouraging words to make it through the rest of the week with Joy and Peace. Every night before my son goes to bed, in addition to reading bible stories, I read him a passage out of “Prayers That Avail Much, First Blessings for Your Child” by Germaine Copeland. Mommies we have to keep our children prayed up and constantly put Gods word in their hearts.

Yesterdays passage read, “Today, I shall pray to God for you, _________ (your child’s name), and He will delight in you. The Lord our God is in our midst; the Mighty One saves. He rejoices over you with gladness. He quiets you with His love and He rejoices over you with singing.” It is vitally important that we continually lift our children up in prayer. Indeed we always teach them to pray for themselves, but as their parents we must pray for them as well. They must understand that they can always find comfort in the Lord and that they always have a friend in Him. As each day passes, we sometimes forget that God is always with us and always readily available to us.

All of us have times when we need someone to vent to. Have you ever noticed that often, in those moments ,we can’t get anyone on the phone no matter how many people we call? I know I have! Although, in these instances I realize that I needed to seek the council and comfort of God, not man. Just imagine where we would be spiritually if we learned this lesson as young children. I can recall so many times as a young lady that I asked my ill-advised friends for advice. How silly was that? I am sure that you can only imagine just how far off track they steered me! This is one of the reasons that it’s important to make sure that our children are surrounded by people that they trust who are truly living for God.

Our children are definitely going to make mistakes. However, the mistakes that they make can certainly be limited to some degree if we train them up in the way of the Lord. “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6).

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,


Shonte’ Press

Testimony Tuesday

Happy Tuesday to all! Let’s be sure make it a great day. As most of you all know, today is Testimony Tuesday! Feel free to share your personal testimony as the spirit moves you. To do so, click on the "comments" link below and type in your testimony (if you are reading this from your inbox visit http://www.savedmom.com/ to post a comment). It is my prayer that it will be a blessing to many.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (http://www.savedmom.com/), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,

Shonte’ Press

Unique Identity

Good day to all! I am so excited that the Lord has blessed us to see another day in the wonderful world of parenthood. I hope that each of you enjoyed the weekend and I know that your week will be full of peace and joy. Today I want to take a few moments to talk about the unique identities that each of our children have been blessed with.

This past weekend my husband and I were out with our son and I fell victim to comparing my child to another child. Oh no, go ahead and stone me now!!! I am sure that we have all been guilty of doing this as some point in time. So here’s how the story plays out… We crossed the path of another mother that was bragging about her son’s ability to always adhere to his “schedule” even when they are out and about. Now my son has a “schedule” too, but he doesn’t do as well adhering to his “schedule” if we are in an unfamiliar environment. I immediately wanted to explain this to her, but then I thought, “Is it really necessary to make excuses and feel the need to explain this to a perfect stranger?” “Absolutely not!” was the answer that I came up with.

I find that oft times as parents we want to compare our children to their siblings and/or other children. Although, what we have to come to understand is that this is not necessary. God made each of us in our own uniqueness. Just as each of us has a physical uniqueness, we all have a spiritual uniqueness as well. We were all placed on this earth to fulfill God’s purpose, but we all have different functions therein. The word explains, “so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:5-8).

The best thing for us to do as parents is to support our children by helping to grow their gifts, instead of comparing and focusing on their flaws. I have received the revelation that my child may not do things the way that I see someone else’s child doing things, but that’s okay. It doesn’t mean that something is wrong with him. It simply means that he has his own unique identity. I know that he is covered by the blood of Jesus and in the end it will all work out for his good.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,


Shonte’ Press

Feature Friday

Congratulations, you made it through another week in the life of a Saved M.O.M.! Here at savedmom.com we take time out on Fridays to feature Saved M.O.M.’s . There are so many wonderful mothers that don’t get the recognition they deserve. I am proud to say that this week’s Feature Friday is dedicated to Deborah Ann Press-Watson. She currently resides in Kerhonkson, New York and is the mother of two. Deborah is a vibrant woman of God. She has dedicated her life to ministry and is always full of joy!

Deborah is an ordained minister of the gospel serving God and her community. She teaches Sunday school, she is a part of the Praise & Worship team and she is delighted to share the word of God as the opportunity arises. She is the daughter of one of our previous Feature Friday guests, Mrs. Barbara Press. So it’s not surprising that she is living such a devoted life in the Kingdom. Deborah has known the Lord for a long time, she explained, “I was always in church from a child and I loved the Lord but I embraced salvation in 1987.”

I asked her what being a Saved M.O.M. means to her and she said, “Living a holy life before them (her children), letting my light shine and trusting God to honor His Word from Isaiah 54… your children will be taught of me and great will be the peace of your children.” As a student of the Bible and a minister/teacher Deborah has so many favorite scriptures. She said, “They are too numerous to mention, however after my walk on the wild side and seeking God for the answer to WHY... 1 Corinthians 9:10-27 (vs. 22 I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some). My life is a testimony of the tests I have undergone to be used to save others from the fires of hell. Experience is a wonderful teacher!” Deborah has an awesome testimony and I hope that she will someday share it on Testimony Tuesday.

When I asked her if she had any words to leave our mothers with, she stated, “Train up a child in the way he/she should go and when he/she is old they will not depart (Proverbs 22:6). Do your part to raise them in the love and admonition of the Lord and TRUST God to honor His word. Know that they MUST sow some wild oats until like the prodigal son they come to their senses and return to their Heavenly Fathers House. God will turn their mess into a message and their test into a testimony of God's grace and Mercy. Just love them as Christ loves us...with an everlasting love. He looks beyond our faults and sees our need, Jeremiah 29:11, I know the plans I have for you… Gods will will be done, be patient. His timing is not ours but He will be glorified in ALL things.”

Deborah closed the interview by stating, “All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife but he made something wonderful of my life.” Praise be to the Lord above! Be sure to tune in Monday for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (http://www.savedmom.com/), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,


Shonte’ Press

It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask

Hola! I am feeling a bit spicy today so I thought I would start the post off with a little Hispanic flare. I am hoping that each of you have had a week full of blessings, love and peace. Today I need your help once again. My mother always taught me that it never hurts to ask, hey, what’s the worst that could happen?

As mothers we often need help, but we usually don’t ask for help? What’s up with that? Do we think that we can do EVERYTHING on our own? Well, it’s time to face reality and ask for the help that we need before we run ourselves into the ground! This is one of the reasons that it is so important to develop strong Godly relationships. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and we all need a friend to help sometimes. The word tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:10, “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”

Don’t ever feel as though you are in this all alone with no one to help. If you haven’t done so already, open yourself up to having good people that love the Lord surrounding you. Then the next step is to ask for help when you need it. God knows each and every one of our needs and he will see to it that His children are taken care of, but you have a part to play in this as well. Be open to trying new things and doing things a little bit different from your norm. The life of motherhood has enough challenges, don’t make it harder by feeling like you can do everything all by yourself.

Okay, so back to my present need… The official Saved M.O.M. website (first phase launch) is almost complete. However, there is one major thing that is missing. That would be a logo. I really want to get a logo ASAP for material to promote the ministry, but I don’t have anything yet. The budget for the logo is quite minuscule, but I know with God, all things are possible. If you or anyone you know has graphic/logo skills and would be willing to donate a little time or work with a very small budget please send me an email at info@savedmom.com. In exchange, I would help promote your gifts and talents and/or business on the website. Thanks in advance for your support!

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,

Shonte’ Press

Word Wednesday

Today is officially “Word Wednesday” otherwise known as “Hump Day.” We’ve made it half way through yet another week on the wonderful, exciting and bumpy road of motherhood. Therefore, some of us are looking for some encouraging words to make it through the rest of the week with Joy and Peace. Every night before my son goes to bed, in addition to reading bible stories, I read him a passage out of “Prayers That Avail Much, First Blessings for Your Child” by Germaine Copeland. Mommies we have to keep our children prayed up and constantly put Gods word in their hearts.

Saturdays passage read, “Listen, ________ (your child’s name) and hear what Jesus said. He says that if you believe in Him, the works that he does, you will do even greater. You have a wonderful future prepared for you.” It’s absolutely astonishing to know that as children of The Most High God, the sky is the limit! We can literally do great things, things that are incomprehensible to many. If you think about it, as children we all had these big dreams and goals of how we wanted to live our lives and what we wanted to be. Unfortunately, many of us had teachers, parents and loved ones that told us that we should “be more realistic.” What a tragedy for us to let our big dreams fall by the wayside because of what someone else said we couldn’t do!

It’s so important that we build our children up and support their dreams and not close their minds to imagining and dreaming. If we believe in the Lord and His works, there is so much in store for us. Jesus told us in John 14:11-14, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” There you have it, it’s written in the true and living word, we ask and it will be done.

It’s time out for the limited thinking and closed mindedness. We have to allow our minds to be open to doing great things. Is there something that you always wanted to do, but your fear kept you from stepping out? Is there an invention that you know God gave you, but you let someone talk you out of it? It is time for us to claim what is ours and make our petition to God. Let’s stop talking about it and actually be about it! Seek God for direction, trust and believe in Him and watch great things happen in your life.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,

Shonte’ Press

Back to Business

Hi there! I am so excited that things are back up and running and I can get back to business as usual. I hope that your weekend was blessed and prosperous and I pray that your week to come is the same. I am just coming off of a much needed spiritual fast and cleanse. I really needed to take a few moments to release some negative energy and spend more time around things and people of God.

I find that so often as Christians we get caught up in things of the world and wonder why we feel the way that we do. When you have a constant flow of negativity from media and people that you are surrounded by, it begins to rub off on you. One of the things that I swayed away from during this fast was gossip. I never realized just how much people around me gossiped until I started this fast. As I sit back and really think about it I have to thank God for giving me this much needed revelation. I am literally being checked by Him as I type these words! I was waiting with slight anticipation for my friends to update me with the things that I didn’t allow them to share with me while I was fasting. Fortunately, I have come to the realization that I should just let them know that I won’t be able to engage them in conversation about those things.

I am not passing judgment on people that engage in gossip, but I am checking myself and allowing the Holy Spirit to wash away things that are not of Him. With gossip being one of those things, I am making a serious effort to rid my ears and mouth of it. I mean, in reality, what good can come from gossiping anyway? The word tells us, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.” (Proverbs 18:8). I am striving to do things that will be pleasing to the Lord. Therefore, I must grow everyday and hearken myself unto Him.

As a mother and a Christian I must make it a priority to emulate a life that is pleasing unto the Lord and one that will set a great example for my children. In many cases, children grow up doing the things that they see their parents doing. As I wrote in a previous post, it is time out for “Do as I say, not as I do.” We must step up to the plate and make the necessary changes to set positive and Godly examples for our kids. We certainly can’t count on the media and society to do it for us. Today I thank God for lessons learned and much needed reality checks.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,

Shonte’ Press

Boy oh boy, what a crazy two weeks it's been! It seems as though when it comes, it comes from every direction. I've been hit with some challenging situations here lately, but praise God, the best is yet to come. In the midst of these battles I had to sit back for a moment and thank God that my family and I have our health, our bills are paid and we are blessed nonetheless.

I find that when Christians are under attack, faith is lost and the enemy prevails. We should always keep our faith, have an optimistic outlook and maintain a good attitude. Some of you may remember that my computer went out a few weeks ago, but what you don't know is that it's still out of commission. I have been waiting on the part needed to repair it. So in the midst of waiting, I've been using a laptop. Well, last night the power cord went out on the laptop! Yup, that means no computer and most importantly, no internet! I'm sure that you can imagine just how frustrated and irritated this made me. Soon thereafter I snapped on hubbby for something so petty, but I quickly apologized and praised God anyway.

It occured to me that at that moment I definitely have more growing to do than I realized. As a sit here at my neighbors computer I am giving myself a much needed attitude adjustment. I usually maintain a positive attitude at all times, but I surely have my moments when I fall short. I thank God for lessons learned and test that come to grow our faith and in those moments we must seek him even more. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6). Our children must see us setting positive examples for them and maintaining positive attitudes for them to emulate. Today I make a vow to God, my family and myself that I will do my very best to maintain a positive attitude no matter what.

Be sure to tune in as soon as the computer is repaired :-) for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,

Shonte’ Press

Word Wednesday

Today is officially “Word Wednesday” otherwise known as “Hump Day.” We’ve made it half way through yet another week on the wonderful, exciting and bumpy road of motherhood. Therefore, some of us are looking for some encouraging words to make it through the rest of the week with Joy and Peace. At night before my son goes to bed, in addition to reading bible stories, I read him a passage out of “Prayers That Avail Much, First Blessings for Your Child” by Germaine Copeland. Mommies we have to keep our children prayed up and constantly put Gods word in their hearts.


Sunday’s passage read, “_______ (your child’s name), I praise our Lord tonight. He promised that when we are speaking and praying making our requests to Him, He will come to give us insight and understanding. He is to be highly esteemed.” The part of this passage that really stands out to me is “He will come and give us insight and understanding.” It doesn’t say that He will grant us our requests right away, but that He will give us understanding. So often in life we get frustrated and disappointed because God didn’t grant us our prayer request when and how we wanted it. The Holy Spirit has shown me over the past few years that we are not always ready to receive what we are requesting of Him.

Think about it this way… if your child asks you for something and you know that s/he is not ready to receive it yet or that it may not be good for him or her, will you deliver it anyway? In most cases, the answer to that question is no. As parents we can see things that our children can’t and we have wisdom to understand things that they don’t. Therefore, we are able to give them insight and understanding regarding their request just as God does for us.

I am so thankful that God didn’t deliver every request that I made of Him at the time that I made it. If he had, my spiritual and emotional growth probably would have been stunted. I would have digressed and would basically be a “Hot Mess” right about now! Now, I have to say that as believers we can wait in expectancy of what we ask of the Lord. “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (Psalm 5:3). Although, we must be in a state of constant self improvement and always growing in our word life so that we are in a place where we are prepared to receive what we have petitioned of Him.


Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,

Shonte’ Press

Testimony Tuesday

Saved M.O.M. is finally resuming business as usual! Hope you all enjoyed reading some of the previous post. As you can see I am back from a much needed sabbatical. Well, it’s Testimony Tuesday! Feel free to share your personal testimony as the spirit moves you. To do so, click on the "comments" link below and type in your testimony (if you are reading this from your inbox visit www.savedmom.com to post a comment). It is my prayer that it will be a blessing to many.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,

Shonte’ Press

Time Off

Good day to all! Hey there Saved M.O.M. has got a lot going on this week. It’s gotten pretty hectic around here and I have to divert my attention away from the wonderful world of blogging for a few moments. In the interim take this opportunity to check out previous posts by scrolling down on the right side of the page (www.savedmom.com). Note: "Lovely Day" posted in April is one of the top picks... Lift me up in prayer and remember to stop and take a break whenever you need to. Until we meet again, when duty calls a Saved M.O.M.’s gotta do what a Saved M.O.M.’s gotta do!

Be sure to stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,

Shonte’ Press

Testimony Tuesday

Happy Tuesday to all! Let’s be sure make it an outstanding day. As most of you all know, today is Testimony Tuesday! Feel free to share your personal testimony as the spirit moves you. To do so, click on the "comments" link below and type in your testimony (if you are reading this from your inbox visit www.savedmom.com to post a comment). It is my prayer that it will be a blessing to many.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment).

Mommie Blessings,

Shonte’ Press

The Milky Way

Hi there! Hope your weekend was filled with blessings and awesomeness :-) Now onto the start of another lovely, wonderful and exciting week in the amazing world of motherhood. In recognition of World Breastfeeding Week I want to use this entry to talk about the womanly art of breastfeeding!

Breastfeeding is such a great experience for both mother and child. Unfortunately, so many of us are plagued with pain and frustration in the first few days of this endeavor. I have to admit that although I prayed and affirmed to have a positive and painless start to breastfeeding, it just didn’t happen that way. I now understand that this happened to raise a breastfeeding testimony for me to one day share. I don’t want to go through play by play of what went wrong because I don’t want to discourage any mothers or mothers to be out there that are planning on breastfeeding. Although, I do want to share that after we got through the rough patch it was such a blessing!

Many women are not aware of the many benefits that can be afforded to both mommie and baby as a result of breastfeeding. I want to take this time to point out those benefits to you. Even if you are beyond breastfeeding years, you can still encourage others to bless themselves and their babies by choosing to do so.

Benefits to baby are as follows…
· Children receive the most complete and optimal mix of nutrients & antibodies
· The varying composition of breast milk keeps pace with the infant's individual growth and changing nutritional needs
· Have fewer incidences of vomiting and diarrhea
· Protection against gastroenteritis, necrotizing entercolitis
· Reduced risk of chronic constipation, colic, and other stomach upsets
· Reduced risk of childhood diabetes
· Protection against ear infections, respiratory illnesses, pneumonia, bronchitis, kidney infections, septicemia (blood poisoning)
· Protection against allergies, asthma, eczema, and severity of allergic disease
· Reduced risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)
· Protection against meningitis, botulism, childhood lymphoma, crohn's disease and ulcerative entercolits
· Decreased risk of tooth decay (cavities)
· Suckling on the breast strengthens baby’s facial structure development, enhances speech, promotes straighter teeth & enhances vision
· Breastfed babies are more intelligent. They develop higher IQ's, and have improved brain and nervous system development reduced risk of heart disease later in life
· Increased bone density
· Breastfeeding plays an important role in the emotional and spiritual development of babies
· Breastfed babies enjoy a special warm bonding and emotional relationship with their mothers
· Antibody response to vaccines are higher
· Are hospitalized 10 times less than formula fed infants in the first year of life
· The colostrum (first milk) coats the GI tract, preventing harmful bacteria and allergy -triggering protein molecules from crossing into baby's blood
· Decreased risk for vitamin E and Iron deficiency anemia
· Decreased risk for acute appendicitis, rheumatoid arthritis, inguinal hernia, pyloric stenosis
· There are factors in human milk that destroy E coli, salmonella, shigella, streptococcus, pneumococcus....and many others
· Less risk of childhood obesity
· Breastfed babies are healthier
· Breast milk is easily digested.

Benefits to mommie are as follows…
· Moms miss less time off from work due to child related illnesses
· Helps the uterus contract after birth to control postpartum bleeding
· Reduced risk of breast, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers
· Reduced risk of anemia
· Protection against osteoporosis and hip fracture later in life
· Reduced risk of mortality for women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been associated with total time of lactation
· Helps the mother's body return to its pre-pregnancy state faster - promotes weight loss...1/2 of calories needed to manufacture milk is pulled from fat stores... can burn from 500 - 1,500 calories per day
· Helps delay return of fertility (menstrual period) and to space subsequent pregnancies
· Develops a special emotional relationship and bonding with her child
· Breast milk is free- reducing or eliminating the cost of formula (in the thousands of dollars/per year)
· Breastfed babies are sick less thus reducing healthcare costs to family in Doctor office visits, prescriptions, over the counter medicine purchases, and hospitalizations
· Releases prolactin, a hormone which relaxes mom and reduces stress
· Reduces the risk of postpartum depression.

Other Benefits...
· Breastfeeding reduces the cost of healthcare by promoting healthier children and mothers
· Reduced insurance premiums for both parents and employers
· Breastfeeding reduces global pollution by decreasing the use of resources and energy required to produce, process, package, distribute, promote and dispose of materials created by the manufacture and use of artificial baby milk
· Reduced tax burden on communities and government to ensure children are properly fed
· Reduced absenteeism in the workplace due to children's illnesses
· You can nurse while sleeping...nursing moms get more rest than formula feeding moms
· Breastfeeding saves moms about 7 hours a week off their feet
· No screaming baby in the middle of the night waiting on the formula to heat up
· Breastfeeding is more convenient, when traveling, all you need is to take diapers, the milk is always available, sterile, and the right temperature
· During times of disaster, you don't have to worry about finding formula
· Breastfed babies smell great....spit ups don't stain, or smell, and poopie diapers are not offensive...(until solids are introduced)
· Breastfeeding requires the use of only one arm....you can do other things while breastfeeding, (except cooking and driving)
· Many, many more benefits, too numerous to list!!!

(Information gathered at http://www.motheringfromtheheart.com/Benefits.htm)

There are so many wonderful benefits to breastfeeding and I thank God for allowing me the opportunity to be blessed with those benefits....You made me hope and trust when I was on my mother's breast. (Psalms 22:9). I must state that this post was not meant to demean mothers that weren’t able to breastfeed. I just want to raise awareness on the blessings of breastfeeding and discourage mothers from not breastfeeding due to selfish reasons and lack of understanding.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Be sure to subscribe on the website.

Mommie Blessings,

Shonte’ Press