Jane Doe
With all the good that comes of participating in the honorable duty of military life, there also come the struggles facing both military service members, as well as their families. One of the common practices of military life involves moving to new places, separation from spouse and children, as well as the readjustment of life in a new context before, during, and after deployment. In order to help create a healthy coping strategy, there are specific self-care recommendations that would help serve military families in a manner that could minimize negative outcomes. The following paper will provide useful strategies of self-care specifically for the military families facing unique hardships that make a challenging situation even more difficult.
Suppose a young couple with a two year old child and another baby on the way gets news of the husband’s deployment. He is to deploy in approximately six weeks and on his tour of duty for six months. The news was not a surprise, but was upsetting nonetheless for the family with a new baby on the way. The father who is enlisted would be leaving behind his pregnant wife with a toddler and new baby on the way. Some self-care planning for this family would be highly recommended to help minimize the difficult situation awaiting them.
One of the first things that the couple could do is reach out to the various services and groups that specialize in supporting military families to adjust to their new realities. The wife would have the opportunity to express her fears and concerns with her husband by her side so that he can be involved in the necessary preparation and transitions that would be made (Blank, et al., 2012). For example, both partners could hear each other’s worries and concerns in advance in order to best prepare for what is to come. The initial step could ideally lead to a support group of other women and families in similar predicaments that the wife could turn to when her husband is deployed (Blank, et al., 2012).
Creating a group of people who are in similar situations or that could truly understand the hardships of military family life would help the wife from feeling isolated and alone. Rather than finding a group after her husband leaves, it would be wise to have a support structure in place that can help her plan how she will manage life once he leaves. For example, meeting other mothers with toddlers would help create a social environment that will help her along the way once she gets close to having the baby. Concerns about how she will manage her young child when at the hospital may be something to consider, but with a set group of friends, this situation could be properly planned.
Informing her doctor of the upcoming deployment would also help the health professional to provide possible suggestions as she facing this challenging time, especially for the sake of a healthy pregnancy. One concern that the doctor must be aware of is the stress that the deployment will cause upon the pregnant mother, which could help in minimizing and detrimental effects to the unborn child. Additionally, advice on support groups that the doctor may be aware of is highly valuable as a tool to ease the fears that the wife may be feeling. Having these discussions and meetings prior to deployment would help the couple work out some worries in advance that they can help create while still together. This would allow the husband who will not be present to also feel more at ease that he is not leaving his wife to manage life on her own during a very important life event.
This example is only one of so many that occur among military families. Not each family will have this specific dilemma, but understanding that a plan of action to help support both spouses, as well as the children makes the transition of military deployment a bit easier to handle. Therefore a self-care plan designed for each unique set of circumstances is something that is highly recommended for military families to maintain a sense of well-being as they sacrifice to serve the nation.
Referencs
Blank, C., Adams, L.A., Kittelson, B., Connors, R.A. & Padden, D.L. (2012).
"Coping Behaviors Used by Army Wives during Deployment Separation and Their Perceived Effectiveness." Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 24, 660-68, doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7599.2012.00766.x
