On Center Street
03/28/13Well, at least we made it to the Zoo!I hope the rest of you did a better job at getting out and doing some super fun Spring Break activities with your kids. I...did not. We have just been so busy, running around like crazy the last few months. So much so that the prospect of having a whole week without driving back and forth between our two sets of kids' schools and all around town to all of the doctor appointments and other activities sounded awesome. I have been backed up on several projects I really wanted to focus on, like completing some of my doula certification materials, revamping my childbirth education materials, and editing the birth plan manual I've been writing in hopes of publishing some time this century! Sadly that meant that the kids spent a lot of lazy time around the house... |
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03/26/13Advice for the Modern MomDid all of you see the new medical information about how too many moms these days are feeding their infants solid food too soon? I was going to blog about it yesterday, but it was all over the Google News page, so I assumed everyone had read it. If somehow you missed it, the CDC says that 40 percent of moms they surveyed admitted to feeding their babies solid foods before they were 4 months old. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until the baby is at least 4 months old. In the New York Times, Dr. T J Gold, a pediatrician, said, “At 2, 3 months, they can’t even hold their heads up well, and they can’t sit.” That makes it difficult, even dangerous, to try to feed infants solid food. According to the CDC, feeding infants solid foods before 4... |
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03/24/13Breast Cancer Affects One in Eight American WomenBreast cancer affects one in eight American women. When you consider the size of just your inner circle of friends, family and co-workers, there is a good chance that someone close to you will face breast cancer. Although breast cancer can seem like a terrifying diagnosis, prognosis is very good when the disease is found in its early stages. Today, there are an estimated 3 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Unless other recommendations are given by your physician, it is recommended that women age 18 and over have a breast exam during their annual well-woman appointment. And, women age 40 and over should have an annual mammogram in addition to their well-woman exam. While we do not know what causes breast cancer, we do know that there are a number of... |
03/15/13Mincing Words and Supporting MomsI have put off writing this article for a while because I wanted to really think about it and address the issue in a way that's both factual and sensitive. I really wasn't completely sure I wanted to address it in my blog, but after being publicly pulled into a comment thread on Facebook about it I thought it might be time to put on my big girl panties and share my thoughts here. Some time in January, I noticed a good friend of mine and former doula client had mentioned my name in a comment thread on the La Leche League (LLL) Facebook page. She was asking my thoughts on an article in the January issue of Tulsa Kids called How Breastfeeding Almost Killed Me, particularly since I blog for the magazine. In addition to my opinion, I had been asked to share with them... |
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03/12/13Rethink Your DrinkYou may have heard by now that a court has blocked a ban on the sale of large sugary drinks - including soda - from restaurants in New York City, a day before the law was to take effect. Super-sized meaning any drink over 16 oz. Call me a socialist if you want, but I'm disappointed it didn't go through. We all sit here wanting the government to pay for our healthcare, but get upset when they're trying to do things to keep us healthy. The judge who ruled that the measure was "arbitrary and capricious", after industry groups sued the city. I had to google what capricious meant (which btw - Capricious is an adjective to describe a person or thing that's impulsive and unpredictable, like a bride who suddenly leaves her groom standing at the wedding... Posted at 08:41 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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03/11/13Marnie the MeteorologistWell, not really. Although it would be a super cool job. I think you have to be pretty good at math and science which would rule me out right there. However, I did get to spend the afternoon with one of Tulsa’s best – Mike Collier from KTUL Channel 8. And let me tell you – I think it might have been easier to get an audience with the Pope. Especially during severe weather season – trying to pin Mike down for an interview was a challenge. But we eventually made it work. To say Mike has a passion for the weather is a bit of an understatement. He’s been forecasting weather for Channel 8 since he was nineteen years old! This seasoned (but barely a day over 30) meteorologist and new dad sat down... |
03/11/13March Pediatrics for ParentsLatest Studies in Health News Prenatal Cocaine Use The Question: Does first trimester cocaine exposure increase the odds that a child will use addictive drugs as a teenager? The Study: Doctors at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine followed 214 mother-child pairs from pregnancy to age 15 years. The mothers’ drug use during first trimester was documented, as was their children’s use of marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco. The Results: The children who had in utero exposure to cocaine were twice as likely to have started using marijuana or alcohol as compared to their peers who didn’t have the first trimester exposure. There was no difference in tobacco use. The authors said that other predictors of drug and alcohol use were family... |
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03/11/13Technology and Play: Supporting A Child’s Growth and Development“Computers are magnificent tools for the realization of our dreams, but no machine can replace the human spark of spirit, compassion, love, and understanding.” ~Louis Gerstner Let’s face it, kids love screens! It’s hard to compete with the realities of life when a child can delve into a fantasy world with one touch, drag or swipe of their tiny fingers. Who can blame them? Most of us take advantage of technology every day—answering emails on our smartphones, connecting with our friends on Facebook. Children have always been attracted to the adult world—and today’s children are no exception. Imagine what it’s like to be a child today, growing up around adults who never leave home without their smartphone or iPad. With... |
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03/11/13A Little Dad Humor: Driving Miss CrazyI have stared into the gaping, drooly maw of death. I have teetered on the brink of imminent demise. Now every day is a gift. I take time to smell the cappuccino. I live in the moment, not worrying about tomorrow because yesterday, I tried to teach my ADD daughter how to drive. I prepared myself for this ordeal like any pragmatic father of a girl who can’t pay attention to an entire commercial: I dialed 9-1-1 on my cell; I hugged my wife and told her where to send a search team; I made an ice-cold dirty martini. I didn’t want her to drive. This is a girl who can get distracted while tying her shoes. Letting her pilot a 5,000-pound hurtling tank of flammable gas through our neighborhood strikes me as un-pragmatic. It makes me wish we were Amish. For the sake of... |
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03/11/13Helping Children Conquer NightmaresSleep, to the parents of a newborn, is about as common as unicorns. Actually, chances are they’re more likely to have seen a unicorn during their delirious fumblings to find a bottle at 3 a.m. than to have actually caught any real Z’s. I must say as much as I miss my now 2-year-old being my tiny little baby, I do not miss the up-all-nights that went with it. But just when I think I’m out of the woods…that budding toddler imagination pulls me right back in with just one word: nightmares. Nightmares are a common occurrence in childhood. The American Academy of Pediatrics defines nightmares as frightening dreams that may awaken a sleeping child, not to be confused with night terrors which consist of a screaming, crying, sleep-like state where the child... |
