Palindromes: The Cool New Name Trend For Babies

Posted on June 27, 2020

Trending in baby naming right now is palindromes, names spelled the same forward and backward like Anna and Ada and Bob.

Popular baby names site Names.org Names.org released a list this week of the Most Popular Palindromes and Names with Meanings Spelled Backwards, after analyzing Social Security Administration data since 1890, and trending interest from millions of visitors on their website in 2020.

The trend is actually not that new though it is a phenomenon of this millennium . Back in 2000, rock star Sonny Sandoval explained the meaning of his daughter Nevaeh’s name on MTV.

From the Greek term palíndromos which means “to run backwards,” these trending names are great for only children, siblings or twins.

For instance, a set of boy and girl twins could be Aidan and Nadia, girl twins could be Ellen and Nelle, and boy twins could be Ira and Ari.

In case you are interested, here are the 10 most popular palindromes since 1890:

1) Anna: 896,000

2) Hannah: 434,000

3) Ava: 266,000

4) Ana: 102,000

5) Ada: 96,000

6) Bob: 93,000

7) Otto: 33,000

8) Eve: 25,000

9) Asa: 18,000

10) Elle: 14,000

Not suprising, the forward version of palindrome baby names are more popular than the backwards one as you can see from the below chart but that shouldn’t stop you from naming your twins theses monikers if you are expecting and still weighing options:

Forwards	Backwards
1. Leon: 168,000 babies since 1890	Noel: 61,000 babies since 1890
2. Aiden: 112,000	Nadia: 42,000
3. Nevaeh: 80,000	Heaven: 26,000
4. Ali: 37,000	Ila: 22,000
5. Nora: 151,000	Aron: 19,000
6. Ira: 59,000	Ari: 18,000
7. Anaya: 12,000	Ayana: 11,000
8. James: 5.2 million	Semaj: 8,000
9. Arden: 13,000	Nedra: 7,000
10. Ami: 8,000	Ima: 7,000

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STUDY: Hispanic, Black Pregnant COVID Patients Higher Risk for Hospitalization

Posted on June 27, 2020

A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that pregnant women with COVID-19 are at increased risk for hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mechanical ventilation but not death.

Researchers studied the disease surveillance data of 8,207 pregnant women infected with the novel coronavirus and 83,205 nonpregnant women aged 15 to 44 years from Jan 22 to Jun 7 to determine whether the immunologic and physiologic changes of pregnancy put them at risk for more severe outcomes.

About one third (31.5%) of pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, had been hospitalized, versus 5.8% of their infected nonpregnant peers, but the researchers were unable to distinguish between hospitalization for coronavirus-related symptoms versus those for pregnancy-related procedures such as delivery.

After adjustment for age, underlying conditions, and race/ethnicity, pregnant women were 5.4 times more likely to be hospitalized, 1.5 times more likely to need intensive care, and 1.7 times more likely to require mechanical ventilation than nonpregnant women.

Sixteen of 8,207 pregnant women and 208 of 83,205 nonpregnant counterparts died of the novel coronavirus, or 0.2% for both groups.

Hispanic, black pregnant women more affected

When stratified by age, hospitalization, ICU admission, receipt of mechanical ventilation, and death were reported more often by women aged 35 to 44 years than by those aged 15 to 24 years, whether or not they were pregnant. When stratified by race/ethnicity, the rate of ICU admission for pregnant Asian women was 3.5%, compared with 1.5% in all pregnant women.

Overall, 97.1% of pregnant women and 96.9% of nonpregnant women reported COVID-19 symptoms. While both reported similar percentages of cough (more than 50%) and shortness of breath (30%), pregnant women were less likely to report headache, muscle aches, fever, chills, and diarrhea and more likely to have chronic lung disease, diabetes, and heart disease.

Among pregnant women, 46.2% were Hispanic, 23.0% were white, 22.1% were black, and 3.8% were Asian, versus 38.1%, 29.4%, 25.4%, and 3.2%, respectively, of their nonpregnant peers. “Although data on race/ethnicity were missing for 20% of pregnant women in this study, these findings suggest that pregnant women who are Hispanic and black might be disproportionately affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy,” the authors said.

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‘Married To Medicine’s Quadd Welcomes Baby Girl via Adoption

Posted on June 26, 2020

Married with Medicine star Quad Webb is the latest Bravolebrity to welcome a child and the second in a few months to do so solo.

Webb introduced the world to her new daughter, Ariana, and recently shared a tender first photo on her Instagram page this week.

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Life is precious, it should be protected and valued ? #blacklivesmatter
A post shared by Miss Quad (@absolutelyquad) on Jun 23, 2020 at 7:24pm PDT

Just last week, rapper Iggy Azalea decided to use the Black Lives Matter movement to introduce the world to her new son she had delivered weeks prior with beau and fellow rapper Playboi Carti.

Similarly, Webb did too, using the motto of the movement to share a first photo of a baby born months ago in April.

“Life is precious, it should be protected and valued #blacklivesmatter,” Quad captioned a photo of her daughter grasping her thumb.

She had previously announced the April birth and plans to retrieve the baby named from her birth home safely during the COVID era.

“It is exciting news, and there are so many moving pieces. My mom and I are extremely happy to welcome baby Ari to her new village,” Quad told Bravo TV‘s media subsidiary The Daily Dish in a statement. “She was born on April 8^th, and since then we have been working to get her home to begin what will surely be a joyous, successful and opportunity filled life.”

She also talked about the rapid changes she’s had in her life since finalizing her divorce from Dr. Gregory Lunceford whom she was married to during most of her stint on the Bravo TV franchise show.

“There’s so much happening so fast! I’ve been in the process of looking for a new home, and now it has a completely different meaning,” she shared. “I’m eager and anxious, as my family means so much to me. We thank you in advance for all of your prayers and well wishes.”

Another Bro TVav star Golnesa “GiGi” Gharachedaghi delivered her first child solo as did executive producer and host Andy Cohen who welcomed a son via surrogatre last year.

Congrats!

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Juneteenth: Red Foods and Link to West African Tradition

Posted on June 20, 2020

Today is Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the anniversary of June 19th, 1865, two years after Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in his Emancipation Proclamation decree.

The news did not get to the slaves in the western most state of Texas until two years later.

The freed people celebrated that announcement in opposition to oppression in a holiday called Manumission Day, named after the act of an owner freeing their captives, but later the month June and the number 19 became mixed into what’s known now as Juneteenth.

Admittedly, although m familiar with the day, I have not celebrated it until this year as the United States past and continued racial divide dominates the headlines and thrust awareness of Juneteenth into the limelight in a big way for the first time this year. I was particularly excited, as a person who immigrated from West Africa, to learn that the foods eaten on this day have roots in African traditions of Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin and the Congo:

Red foods and drinks were a major way of commemorating that legacy of enslavement and the holiday. But “the practice of eating red foods—red cake, barbecue, punch and fruit—may owe its existence to the enslaved Yoruba and Kongo brought to Texas in the 19th century,” from present-day Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, writes culinary historian and food writer Michael Twitty in his blog Afroculinaria.
Juneteenth celebrations originated in Texas. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger issued an order declaring: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free…” This was two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln decreed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared enslaved people in rebel states were free, but was only practical to those close to Union territory.
For a long time, formerly enslaved people in Texas did not know they were free, and even after they knew, they faced lynchings, rape, and other continued acts of forced labor. But that didn’t stop freed people from celebrating the June 19 announcement, in opposition to the systems of white oppression. This holiday became known initially as Manumission Day, named after the act of an owner freeing their captives, but later the month June and the number 19 became mixed into what’s known now as Juneteenth.
Red foods and drinks were a major way of commemorating that legacy of enslavement and the holiday. But “the practice of eating red foods—red cake, barbecue, punch and fruit—may owe its existence to the enslaved Yoruba and Kongo brought to Texas in the 19th century,” from present-day Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, writes culinary historian and food writer Michael Twitty in his blog Afroculinaria.
Twitty goes on to write, “enslavement narratives from Texas recall an African ancestor being lured using red flannel cloth, and many of the charms and power objects used to manipulate invisible forces required a red handkerchief.”
Professor of history and foodways at Babson College Fred Opie writes that some historians believe the red color could be connected to “the Asante and Yoruba’s special occasions which included offering up the blood of animals (especially the red blood of white birds and white goats) to their ancestors and gods.”
Red, in many West African cultures, is a symbol of strength, spirituality, and life and death. It’s possible this cultural legacy along with these groups’ distinct food knowledge of okra, beans, melons, and many other food groupings—some red, some not—was brought across the Atlantic.
The story is clearer when it comes to drinks. According to culinary historian Adrian Miller, red drinks at Juneteenth celebrations have links to the fruits of two native West African plants: the kola nut and hibiscus. The kola nut, typically white or red, was and still is served to guests as a snack to chew, used as a water purifier, or steeped for tea. The flowers of the hibiscus, too, were often stewed to make a reddish-purple tea called bissap and provided to guests. Both were extracted to the Caribbean and the Americas during the Atlantic slave trade. From watching their captives, plantation owners noticed that the kola nut could be used as an energy booster, digestive, or cold remedy, and made for a stimulating additive to bitter water.
When crushed into a powder, then added into water, the kola nut creates a reddish-brown refreshing drink. Miller also notes that enslaved people used red corn, after a long day of corn shucking, to make their own whiskey. This practice of adding reddish substances to make sweet, palatable drinks was common, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary to see such drinks associated with Juneteenth.

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Report: Mother to Baby COVID-19 Transmission is Uncommon

Posted on June 16, 2020

Photo by Camylla Battani on Unsplash

Transmission of COVID-19 from mother to baby during pregnancy is uncommon, and the rate of infection is no greater when the baby is born vaginally, breastfed or allowed contact with the mother, according to a new study.

The research also found that babies that did test positive for COVID-19, were mostly asymptomatic. The findings are published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Many early reports in the literature on COVID-19 in pregnancy suggested that in order to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 from mother to baby, it was safer to have a cesarean, to isolate the baby from the mother at birth and to formula feed, but there was very little evidence to support these guidelines.

To conclusively look at the risks associated with COVID-19 and pregnancy, experts from the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham have undertaken a systematic review of 49 studies looking into this much talked about topic.

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Be Intentional With BLM Messaging

Posted on June 11, 2020

I love that these brands are featuring black creators like Etsy (above) and Blogher (below).

Here is more things that you can do:

I also excerpt Sophia Clarke’s opinion piece for BlogHere here where she implores all those out there taking actions to be more intentional especially after the whole Black Square campaign launched a couple of weeks ago.

On the individual level, the Black Square does nothing.
It does not absolve you of your ignorance, inaction, or the racism within. It does not forgive the time you yelled the N-word as you sang a song, or fetishized a Black person, or called the cops because you saw someone “suspicious.” It doesn’t elevate Black voices, brands, or the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s a poor attempt to show that you’re “not racist” while doing the bare-minimum. It’s not really for anyone but your followers – it’s entirely performative. An empty, thoughtless, post. It’s the digital equivalent to a shoulder shrug – a half-hearted yes. It is like the presence of someone at a party who doesn’t want to be…
..The Black Lives Matter movement isn’t a trend. It is not a peplum top or a fun new bar or food in foam form. For Black lives to continue to matter, for Black life, joy, and prosperity to be centered, the movement must continue. Social media is powerful. So is whiteness. And to not use these forces to do something actionable within your network – anything – is peak privilege in action.
The Black Square posts do not show solidarity, but rather just a thinly veiled performance. An attempt at activism. A toe dipped into a churning sea of constant movement. Performative activism stems from not wanting to be called out for silence, but why resign oneself to this possibility when there are so simple ways to do actually do something? It can be simple as having a conversation with yourself as to why you’re afraid to declare yourself an anti-racist. That’s a great place to start.
Mainstream news has done a poor job at accurately portraying what’s happening on the ground.
Protests have been largely peaceful, and social media has been essential for disseminating the latest facts, actions to take, and updates. It’s been an incredible tool for fostering collective action. But beyond the facts, there has been a reckoning for white people online and how to understand the privilege that whiteness holds.
Doing your part, and using this privilege isn’t just cool this week – it’s essential always. It’s a commitment to justice, and there’s so much work to do. Jump in – the water is fine and history will remember you well.
At the time of publication, no arrests have been made for the murder of Breonna Taylor in her own home.
[June th] would have been her 27th birthday.
Here’s a petition to sign to ensure justice and share your action on social media using the hashtag #SayHerName. Measurable actions have worked, and will continue to work, as long as we keep speaking up, sharing the facts, and holding each-other accountable on, and offline.
We deserve better. Let’s quit the B.S.

Agreed!

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SAY HER NAME. ? In honor of Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday, these influencers, including #BlogHer Alum @colormecourtney, @tyalexander, and @gabifresh, are calling for justice to be served. ⁣ ⁣ Demand #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor. #BlackLivesMatter includes Black women and Black LGBTQ+ lives, too. ⁣ ⁣ Swipe for ways you can request action, put together by @shemedia partner @xonecole.⁣ ⁣ Influencers in Slide One:⁣ @essiegolden @curvenvy @glamazondiaries @amarachiukachu @tyalexander @colormecourtney @chardlinechanel @addieohh @stylishcurves @ontheqtrain @kurvykatie @lexiwiththecurls @iambeauticurve @simplygailg @styleandpoise @dressupwithjess⁣ Influencers in Slide Two:⁣ @gabifresh @kellyaugustineb @chanteburkett @alana_reina @simplycurvee @opalbyopal @audreypatriciaw @stylenbeautydoc @monroesteele @blairimani @fromheadtocurve @enigivensunday
A post shared by BlogHer (@blogher) on Jun 5, 2020 at 11:34am PDT

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Men’s Mental Health: 6 Things To Remember

Posted on June 9, 2020

Photo by Wallace Chuck from Pexels

June is Mens’s Mental Health Awareness Month, the same month that we celebrate dads on Fathers Day. It’s important to remember that men and new fathers also face mental health challenges when they become parents for the first time and also later when dealing with the stresses of raising children, providing for their families and balancing work, personal obligations and life, in general.

Sadly, there is a stigma that requires men to be strong all the time.

Vinay Saranga M.D. , a psychiatrist and founder of Saranga Comprehensive Psychiatry, offers these three things to remember about men’s mental health:

1. Postpartum Depression In Men: We don’t hear much about it, but one in 10 men develop postpartum depression. That’s a statistic that’s often overlooked but can’t be ignored. We need to start the conversation during Men’s Health Month and come up with a perinatal wellness plan that includes the entire family.

2. Understand Weak vs. Strong: Feeling depressed, anxious, on-edge, exhausted, irritated, or overwhelmed does not make you weak. It’s OK to reach out for support and help when you need it. Strong men are the men who realize there’s a problem and take action to heal. After all, you wouldn’t hesitate to go to the doctor if you had diabetes, so don’t hesitate to go for your mental wellness.

3. Create Healthy “Me Time” Everyone needs a little time for self-care, especially dads. Remember that self-care is not selfish…it’s essential. Have a quiet cup of coffee, hit up the gym, or engage in your favorite activity. Hobbies and healthy activities can help you refocus and reenergize. Me time provides an opportunity to pour all your energy and strength into yourself.

4. Communicate Your Feelings: Don’t keep your feelings bottled up inside. Recognize them and talk about them openly. Set healthy boundaries and let your loved ones know what’s OK with you and what’s NOT. Try to identify your stress triggers and create healthy coping mechanisms that help you become a better father and a healthier, happier person!

5. Let go of how society defines fatherhood: Don’t for a second buy into how society defines manhood or fatherhood. You don’t always have to be strong and self-sacrificing to be a great dad. You don’t have to fit into the mold defined by the masses. Be proud of who you are, the traits and characteristics that define you, and what you stand for.

6. It’s okay to hurt: The fact is, everybody hurts sometime. There’s no avoiding it. Some people hide it better than others. Even the manliest men among us experience it. If you don’t address it, it’s only going to fester and become a larger problem. That’s true of all mental health conditions. If you don’t address them, they don’t go away on their own, and become more significant issues

Mental health is often overlooked for men because men are expected to be strong, providers, to be the helpers and not be the ones needing help.

Hopefully, reading these tips will provide a starting point on how to approach the needs of the men and dads in our lives differently. Let’s support and uplift them as well.

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Summer Trend: The Oversized T-Shirt is Right On Time For the ‘Rona Era

Posted on June 8, 2020

Because a lot of us are not going in to work, or socializing with friends much anymore, comfort is definitely in style. So this season’s OVERSIZED shirt trend is right on time and on par with these times. And just because you aren’t going to any events because of global stay home orders, a lot more of us are actually getting out more for walks to the park, to attend drive by graduation and birthday parties and to get drinks at establishments open for sidewalk dining.

Then there are the influencers and othe social media fashionistas that just like to flex for the gram. That group usually does not include us parents but just in case you’re in that category, here are some of my fave oversized shirts and how I would style them:

Love! Public Desire Curve oversized t-shirt with faded graphic ($23.30)

At the top of the price point is this Rolling Stones vintage-look tee featuring graphics from their 1994 Voodoo Lounge tour from Urban Outfitters for $44.

I really love a collar shirt so this Collission shirt sold on ASOS which also has a nice large pocket in the front is lovely for $32.

Grey is one of my fave colors for a t-shirt so this Vans Oversized chest logo t-shirt in gray Exclusive at ASOS is perfect for me for $31.00

So this big ole Blue Oversize Button-Up shirt is really my kind of thing because the color pops. I can see myself tucking in the front or belting it and wearing it as a dress! And at only $26, it’s a virtual steal!

And I love shirts with messages so this large black Lola Skye t-shirt with the words “Not for Instagram” makes me smile and at just $29 and is 100% cotton.

I also love this Aaliyah t-shirt becuase I miss her and rock start shirts are always trendy. And Misguided is selling this t-shirt for only $19 right now! Hurry before they sell out!

And yes… anotehr black t-shirt. This look is kinda young but I still like it. Maybe, I’ll give it to my tween and Misguided is selling it for $13 so I can afford to check it out.

Finally, here are some more from retailers who are part of my Shopstyle collective:

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Amazing Dad Quick Reflexes Videos

Posted on June 4, 2020

Father’s Day is around the corner and now is a great time to reflect on how great dads are wonderful beings to their children. What better example of this is when a father saves a child’s life…literally!

Just in time for Dad’s day, let’s take a look at some fun video compilations of dads using their quick reflexes to rescue a baby or a kid in just the knick of time!

Super dad Brian Kucharik caught the ball with one hand whilst cradling his daughter Emily. Like, Whoa!

It was part of a series of amazing dad ballpark catches:

In 2014, on Father’s Day, a dad was probably coming back from a diaper change and arrived back at the stands just in time to catch Troy Tulowitzki‘s home run ball also with one-hand while holding his young daughter with the other hand. Dude casually walked back to his seat as the San Francisco Giants play the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park.

Back in 2013, another dad caught a fly ball during a Diamondbacks v. San Francisco Giants game.

And let’s not leave the Minor League out of this. In August 2015, dad Kyle Wren caught a foul ball while holding his baby as Colorado Springs took on Round Rock.

Dads catches, while good intentioned, aren’t always good for the game they’re watching.

Like the dad last June 2015 who reached in to catch a ball during a Chicago Cubs v. L.A. Dodgers game. The refs had to call the hit back. Doh!

Finally, honorable mention to the dad who saved his son from getting a hit in the face by a flying baseball bat during a March 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates v the Atlanta Braves game.

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How to Talk To Your Child About Aftermath of George Floyd’s Death

Posted on June 2, 2020

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

As a parent (future, impending, new or veteran), we are challenged to cope with these unsettling times, and to help children who are experiencing and witnessing the mayhem related to the pandemic, and now social unrest.

It’s not just us.

The world is challenged by COVID-19 and more recently, the growing protests following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky and Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia . Now more than ever, we all need to become committed to personal introspection and to gather our thoughts so we can later help our kids make sense of it all.

Parents no longer have the luxury to just ignore it because the world, companies, influencers, brands, schools, political figures and seemingly everyone is saying something…finally!

A lot of parents, especially non-black parents, may struggle how to broach to topic because they themselves do not know how to process it, know what to say, know how to say it and may experience anxiety, fear and uncertainty on how their message will be received.

I write to share my thoughts in hopes they may serve as a guide.

Ultimately, on the protests, fires and violence, you can try to shelter children but understand that if they are online, or have eyes or ears, they will hear and see what’s going on and may ask questions.

Using simple, age-appropriate wordsm explain that people are upset with a bad incident and are protesting to let the people in charge know they are not happy because this bad incident has happened before and they do not want it to happen again.

Photo by Harrison Haines from Pexels

Race may be a complicated topic but if you feel your child can understand, you can go ahead and let them know that while everyone should be treated equally without regards to what they look like on the outside and what skin they have, that is not always the case. And people are upset and demanding that things change so everyone can feel safe, especially our black friends, neighbors and family.

You can let them know that it is a complicated and complex problem that adults, and in particular those in charge of certain institutions, have to deal with and hopefully, we will make progress.

They should not be burdened that they bear any personal role, though you can tell them that they should always treat everyone with kindness but let them know that the problem is bigger than just one-on-one individual actions of kindness. Bigger systems need to work in order to make the type of changes people are looking for.

If you feel you need to address the fires, violence and looting, you can let them know that there are bad people who are not protestors who have sadly gone to where the protestors are and that they causing more ruckus and mayhem.

It is upsetting to you and the protestors because they think their voice may get drowned out by these other guys.

The government is stepping in to try to weed out the bad apples mixed in with peaceful protestors, but some people think it may be too much force and getting even more upset.

Again, let them know that these are adult matters and we adults are in charge of working all of this out.

You can give them a sense of understanding that what is happening is not anything they can control but that you have hope things will work out eventually and in the end, if not soon, in the future.

For older teens, if you are comfortable discussing, you can let them know that the uprisings in protests around the United States and solidarity marches and demonstrations around the world call our attention to the cause: the systematic and institutional abuse of power and authority that has resulted in repeated instances of police-involved killings of unarmed black men, women and children in America, many times when the victims are innocent of any wrongdoing.

There is a lot of scholarship and articles summarizing the problem you can find online. Here is one that I recommend: https://www.tolerance.org/moment/racism-and-police-violence

They should know that a lot of people are taking to the streets also because they are tired of being stuck at home because of Stay-home orders and calls for social distancing.

They have decided to join those people who are frustrated with being restrained from critizing authories and once again calling for reform to ensure all citizens are treated with human dignity and respect during police encounters.

It’s a mixed bag of a lot of different people with different agendas and looks like a mess.

Nonetheless, let them know the focus must remain on the cause of the uprising and not the tragedy and property losses that are the effect.

Ideally, all lives should matter when it comes to the exercise of caution by police to limit civilian death outcomes. Sadly, history has shown that is not the case as one racial class of people is persistently killed at an alarming disporptionate rate compared to their population in America and with impunity.

There are several initiatives and ways to get involved, demand action of elected officials, or donate to the cause of those doing the hard work to improve this situation for the betterment of all, and in particular black citizens in this nation.

I hope this helps.

Stay healthy and Safe out there!

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Hispanic, black pregnant women more affected