Tag Saving the Glider

By Jamie Anne Richardson

My family recently moved from a suburb of Dallas to a small country town about an hour away. Anyone who has ever relocated with multiple children knows packing is both exhausting and emotional. I found the first ultrasound picture I ever had, a pacifier I’d forgotten I saved, and even a plastic container full of bottles. As I sat and flipped through a manila envelope of old photos from the past 11 years, it hit me that I was seated on perhaps the biggest memory holder of my mothering career: my glider.

My mom gave me my glider when I was pregnant with my oldest. She bought a quality chair knowing far better than I did how much time would be shared there. It was where I spent hours with my daughter who screamed through every feeding thanks to severe acid reflux and being born without the sucking reflex. Several lactation consultants and a pump never brought us peace. In fact, peace was never truly discovered until her pediatrician recommended that we try baby formula.

Since the American Academy of Pediatrics and other experts agree on the benefits of breastfeeding, I questioned the choice. I wondered if I was a failure for giving up on nursing. Given the miscarriages and infertility I suffered prior to my first successful full-term pregnancy, every shift from my idea of the ideal mother caused me great stress.

I researched, I cried, I asked for advice and prayers. I finally tried a sample of a nationally advertised name brand formula that my doctor gave me, and within a week, I had my first four-straight-hour-sleep since giving birth six months prior. My skepticism about baby formula started to fade, but I was also financially strapped. My husband was a part-time youth pastor, and I had quit my job at the church to stay home and be a full-time mom.

As you could imagine, it was hard to afford the sticker price of infant formula. As I continued rocking my oldest on that glider, I researched options. That’s when I discovered the nutritional value and savings available through Store Brand Formula Not only is Store Brand Formula FDA approved and nutritionally comparable to name brands, but it can also save a family up to $600 a year without compromising quality.

After discussing Store Brand Formula further with my pediatrician, I decided to give one a try! I am so glad that I did because it worked. My daughter tolerated the Store Brand Formula well. It eased her digestion and she finally started gaining weight. Eventually, her sleep pattern stabilized.

Eighteen months after my first was born, I had my second and then my third child two years later; I had a relaxing feeding experience with all of my kids in my dear glider. Once they outgrew feeding time, the glider became my story time chair where I flipped through “Goodnight Moon” or a Dr. Seuss classic.

Now my kids are 11, 9, and 7, and that memory-filled chair has found a new home in my reading and writing room. Though my childbearing years are over, I can already picture myself rocking my grandchildren in it, singing songs, telling stories, and building another layer of memories.

About the Author

Jamie Anne Richardson is an author and mother of three living in a Dallas suburb. She is a blogger for Huffington Post and a Distinguished Voices columnist for Dallas Morning News.