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Bellyitch Rewind: Eric Benet’s Wife Manuela’s Tender Belly Dedication

Posted on March 27, 2020

Bellyitch Rewind

In a very brave and courageous promotion of breastfeeding, singer Eric Benet, shared a photo of his newborn daughter Lucia nursing on his wife Manuela Testolini via Instagram, a new innovative and popular iPhone app used for enhancing and sharing images with friends.

Lucia was born on December 21, 2012 E! News reports.

Ideally, people who see this image would be encouraged and understand how natural and beautiful the act of nourishing a child is. Sadly, breastfeeding isn’t always celebrated and appreciated, even though research says that breastfeeding is the best for newborns and babies.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 26% of babies are never breastfed. Breastfeeding is healthy and is used to transfer critical antibodies and immunity to babies. The benefits of breastfeeding are endless.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics research, human milk feeding decreases the incidence and/or severity of a wide range of infectious diseases including bacterial meningitis, bacteremia, diarrhea, respiratory tract infection, necrotizing enterocolitis,otitis media,urinary tract infection, and late-onset sepsis in preterm infants.

In addition, postneonatal infant mortality rates in the United States are reduced by 21% in breastfed infants and research indicates that breastfed babies

The CDC also reports that African Americans are less likely to breastfeed their children. The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies report that Blacks stop breastfeeding sooner than other races, setting up their children for higher incidences of illnesses and diseases that non-breastfed children succumb to at a higher rate than those who were nursed. The report links higher rates of infant mortality and low birth weight to lack of breastfeeding.

There is a taboo about it among the black community, perhaps, and those who nurse for too long are not encouraged and are sometimes egged on to stop breastfeeding after a few weeks or months. Shorter breastfeeding times are also linked to low income mothers who have to report to work earlier and have shorter maternity leave and/or work in settings where they do not have a private place to pump and store their milk for their babies.

Kim Durdin-James, national president of the African-American Breastfeeding Alliance (AABA), summed it up well in saying, “In the best of times, breastfeeding is the optimal feeding choice for young children because it provides babies with all vital nutrients for growth and development, but in times of disaster, breastfeeding can mean the difference between life and death.”

So Benet sharing this image may spark dialog and conversation about nursing. Unfortunately, some may see it as over-sharing and too private an image to be sharing with the world.

But if the purpose was to share with the world a piece of two of his most favorite girls (his mom and daughter India probably being other favorite females) doing a natural act that is his prerogative and he should be celebrated and applauded for doing so not discouraged and lambasted.

A few weeks before the birth, Benet tweeted this wonderful belly pic of Manuela:

It reads: Your heart beats because of our love Our love beats stronger because of you. Lovely!

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10 Tips For How to Deal with OB/GYN Problems at Home

Posted on March 26, 2020
Woman sipping coffee

Woman sipping coffee

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Women who have had OB/GYN appointments scheduled within the last few weeks have probably had a telephone call from their practitioners letting them know that their appointment has been postponed or canceled as many doctor’s offices are shut down for non-emergency care, and are only handling emergency care or diagnosing and treating Covid-19.

In these times, there is an option to connect by phone of video when you’re experiencing non-urgent but highly uncomfortable issues or need to have a prescription phoned in.

Lauren Streicher, MD, OB/GYN at Northwestern University encourages her patients experiencing gynecologic issues during the Covid crises to contact their healthcare professionals (which includes either family physician, internist, obstetrician–gynecologist, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner) if they have a gynecologic concern.

But she is aware that many health care professionals are either not set up to treat patients using telemedicine or simply aren’t available given their focus is now on critically ill patients.

“Even with mandates to ‘shelter in place,’ women can safely and effectively take care of many common health issues right at home,” Dr. Streicher advises. “But still, it is important to know when something does require immediate medical attention.”

She offers the following tips to help women prepare their own at home ‘gyne toolkit’ to address common issues:

·     Plan ahead with a 3-Month Supply of prescriptions such as birth control pills. If your insurance won’t give you more than a month at a time, Dr. Streicher offers ways to cut out of pocket costs on prescription drugs.

·       Horrible, painful periods? Yes, there are at home remedies that actually work.

·       Unprotected sex? In the U.S., there are two FDA approved over the counter forms of emergency contraception. Dr. Streicher stresses that the on sooner you take Emergency Contraception, the more effectively it works – so it’s best to prepare and have it on hand!   And, as always stock up on condoms.

·      Control that recurring UTI. There is nothing worse than a UTI when you can’t get a prescription. Have antibiotics on hand just in case.  Additionally, studies show that if you increase your daily fluid intake of water to 2-3 liters on a regular basis, you can flush out sticky bacteria and prevent infection. An oral vaginal probiotic like Pro-B may keep yeast and bacteria balanced everyday by increasing vaginal lactobacilli and preventing the colonization of vaginal E.coli finding its way into the urinary tract.

·      Vaginal discharge? Funky odor? Know how to determine if it is yeast or bacterial vaginosis so you know which over the counter product to use. Make sure to have Vaginal pH balancing Gel in your Gyne Toolkit to keep pH balanced to normal after common occurrences like sex and menstruation.

·      Pelvic floor PT cancelled?  If you are going to stick to kegel exercises, make sure you are doing them correctly. Also, there are over the counter, at home devices developed in conjunction with pelvic floor physical therapists that are FDA cleared for the treatment of both urinary and fecal incontinence. Find out how to have a home, personal trainer for your pelvic floor.

·      Painful sex?  Sheltering in place, can mean more sex, (Yay!) although in some cases this is less than pleasurable. You don’t necessarily need to see your gyne to get help. Stock up on Replens Moisturizer to eliminate vaginal dryness and painful sex, especially for women who are breastfeeding, in cancer treatment or menopause. And, remember to have a good silicone lube on hand to use just before sex to eliminate abrasion and ease penetration. A moisture is not the same as a lube.

·       Abnormal bleeding? Don’t panic. Find out what the causes are and when you need to act, and when it is OK to wait it out.

·      Pregnant? Having pain? An ectopic pregnancy is potentially life threatening and demands attention. Call your healthcare provider immediately.

  • Stock up on vitamin-D. It facilitates the absorption of calcium that can decrease bone loss and reduce your risk of breaking a bone. They are easy to take, especially a gummy like vitafusion.

“Instead of consulting Dr. Google, who is usually wrong, check out my website at DrStreicher.com, it is the go to women’s health site for reliable, up to date, information about what to do in almost every circumstance when you are stuck at home and can’t reach your own doctor,” adds Streicher.

There you have it, moms and moms-to-be, answers at your computer fingertips. We suggest you use it.

pin graphic for ob/gyn at home tips

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Pregnant Women In New York Will Deliver Babies Alone

Posted on March 25, 2020
sad woman

sad woman

Women giving birth at two leading New York City hospital networks are being told they must labor without spouses, partners or doulas by their side — leaving the expectant mothers anxious and frightened about their upcoming deliveries.

The New York City hospital network NewYork-Presbyterian on Monday instituted one of the most restrictive visitor policies in the country for women giving birth, barring spouses, partners and other family members or outside support people, such as doulas, from the delivery room — a rule it said would help protect mothers and children during the coronavirus outbreak.

And on Monday night, Mt. Sinai Health System announced it would also bar partners and other visitors from its labor and delivery rooms, beginning on Tuesday.

“We do not take this decision lightly, but these are unprecedented times that require unprecedented steps to protect our patients, their families and their new babies,” Lucia Lee, a spokeswoman for Mt. Sinai, said in a statement.

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What To Call the Quarantine Babies {Non Obvious Names}

Posted on March 23, 2020

No doubt, we may be welcoming some new Coronavirus Quarantine kids in 9 months or so. Now, these kids cannot be given names too obvious  about the world circumstances that surrounded their conception.

Therefore, we’ve got  to be creative when it comes to giving them names to not be too obvious. Despite that funny meme out there, you certainly cannot call your baby Quarantine! Nope that will not do, but we can get creative with it.

Tina

Consider Tina for a girl.  Tina is a female given name. It originates from Old English Tyne/Tyna/Tina, meaning river. It is also a diminutive for names such as Albertina, Bettina, Christina, Christine, Kristina, Martina, Valentina.

No one would ever thing it was a derivative of Quarantine.

Rhona

This is a girl’s name of Scottish origin and means “might” and it will take the will of the might to defeat this disease. The name was coined in Scotland in the late nineteenth century, according to the website Nameberry.

And because the spelling “Rona” would be too obvious that it was a take off Corona, adding that “h” is smart.

Corey

Similarly, Corey is a masculine version of the name Cora and means Chosen, per SheKnows. The name has Irish, Scottish, American, Gaelic and English heritage and origins. It’s a perfect all around name for a virus that affected us all around the world.

And no, we cannot go with Cora. It’s too obvious and frankly, could be embarrassing.

Quinn

Derived from the Irish surname O’ Quinn which is from the Gaelic O’ Cuinn (descendant of Conn), the name means wisdom, reason, or intelligence.

When you think of the names that start with the letter Q as in Quarantine, certainly Quinn is high on that list right? It’s a name that is unisex and can apply to a girl or boy.

Then, we have the names of the governors, here in the US anyway, who have lead their constituents  very well to get them thru these times:

Gavin

California’s governor Gavin Newsom stayed in front of the viral spread a bit when he recently ordered a complete lockdown of the Bay Area in which residents must stay home unless they need to go out to purchase essentials.

Andrew

New York’s Mayor Andrew Cuomo has also been an active face on TV given his state has had the most cases of the virus to date: over 10,000.

Larry

My state’s Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland has remained ahead of the feds with his active approach. Each of his press conferences has been reassuring and he held a press conference when we had our first and second deaths.

Jay

Governor Jay Inslee, the governor of the state that saw the very first case, Washington. He set the example for other states to follow.

Gina

Rhode Island’s Governor Gina Raimondo was aggressive in ordering a shut down as well.

Ned

Connecticut’s Governor Ned Lamont similarly signed a recent executive order as part of a new campaign called “Stay Safe, Stay at Home” that will require non-essential businesses to close.

Finally, if one is looking to give a kid a name after the times, an obvious pick would be  the scientists, health officials delivering us all solid news on how to stay healthy.

Anthony

As summarized by The Guradian, “[t]ested by Donald Trump, who demands loyalty over facts, Dr. Anthony Fauci has earned praise from the US public for telling the truth about coronavirus, even when it means contradicting the president.”

There are others around the world as highlighted in this recent piece on The Guardian you can read here!

No matter what parents select, any baby born out of love (and forced seclusion) is a blessing.

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Viral: Mom Cries When Panic Buyers Clean Out Diaper Shelves

Posted on March 21, 2020
empty shelves

empty shelves

Utah mom Lauren Whitney was having a tough week when she went to her local Walmart to get diapers for her 18-month-old daughter, Rosalynd. But when she got to the aisle, there was nothing left in Rosalynd’s size.

It was just too much for the mom of four to take.

“So basically I’ve just had like a really rough week,” Whitney told TODAY Parents. “I was demoted at work for a really stupid reason, and it just kinda created stress. I went to a few other stores first. I ended up at Walmart and I was just looking for diapers…and there was just none in her size anywhere. And I think it was the straw that broke the camel’s back for the week. And my emotions kind of bubbled up and I was like, ‘Somebody needs to hear this.'”

Whitney took to the social media video sharing app TikTok and recorded a video of herself crying, a video that has since gone viral with more than 5 million views.

Whitney, who works part-time at a movie theater to help subsidize her family’s income, said that for her family, she doesn’t have the opportunity to bulk buy like some.

“There’s so many people out there like myself that we, we don’t get paid very much,” she explained, adding that her husband is ex-military and a full-time student. “So, you know, we’re low income families and so it’s hard for us to be able to just go out and buy a large amount of things at one time.”

“When we do have the funds to be able to go purchase things and it’s not there for us to buy, it’s very frustrating,” Whitney said. “So those people that are buying in bulk or that are clearing the shelves make it harder for those of us that either are low income or only get paid every two weeks or even once a month.”

 

@browncoatbetty##thisapocalypsesucks♬ original sound – browncoatbetty

Panic buying refers to the phenomenon when consumers buy unusually large amounts of a product in anticipation of, or after, a disaster or perceived disaster, or in anticipation of a large price increase or shortage.

On Sunday, the National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association urged shoppers to restrain themselves from hoarding, asking that if they didn’t need an item in the next two weeks to leave it for someone else who does.

“Hoarding and stockpiling creates unnecessary gaps between the time that someone who truly needs a product can find it back on retailers’ shelves,” they said in a statement. “This is particularly important for our most vulnerable neighbors — the elderly and those who are struggling with other health issues.”

Whitney got diaper eventually, but here again are my tips for alternatives to diapers in a pinch.

  1. Burp Rag. I’ve used cloth diapers as burp rags, so why not the other way around? Usually they are thick and will do the trick for a short amount of time at least. If you usually use cloth diapers and have a liner, then it should work a little better.
  2. Wipes. If you have the kind of wipes that need to be wetted prior to use or if you have any wipes that have dried out, they can be used in a pinch while you pick up some more. I would not advise using wipes that are wet, as this could cause a rash.
  3. Receiving Blanket. I wouldn’t suggest using your favorite one, just in case, but if you are out and about and have no other options then this will work. Most people have a receiving blanket in their diaper bag for infants, and it is large enough that you can fold it a few times for added layers or tie it around them.
  4. Maxi Pad. This may be a little embarrassing if others see you use one; however, it is also very effective. Maxi pads are made to be absorbent and can hold enough to give you the time needed to get some real diapers. Make sure you have it secured into a diaper bottom or onesie, so it doesn’t slip.
  5. Cheese Cloth. I would recommend folding this one as many times as you can and place it in a diaper bottom or onesie, the same as you would for a maxi pad. Since cheese cloth is made to have liquid wrung through it, you want to make sure you have as many layers as possible, and don’t rely on it lasting a long time.
  6. Dishtowel. Again, I wouldn’t use your favorite one, but at least this one will be more absorbent and may buy you some additional time.
  7. Wash Cloth. Depending on the size of your washcloths, you may want to use more than one, and either fold them or wrap them around and tie at the waist.
  8. Pillow Case. Go for cotton and not silk or satin for best results. Bunch it together and tie or pin it up like a cloth diaper.
  9. Napkin. I would suggest cloth, and not paper, but again stay away from your favorites. You can couple a few together for added protection and pin up the same as a cloth diaper.
  10. Paper Towels. Notice the plural on towels as one will not cut it. I would use about four or five and fold up to insert the same as the maxi pad listed above.

I hope these tips help! Good luck, moms (and dads and caregivers!)

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Celebrities Who’ve Donated To Help the Coronavirus Outbreak

Posted on March 19, 2020

Celebrity couples Ciara and Russell Wilson, Blake Lively and Ryan eynolds; and Ayesha and Steph Curry have pledged to donate towards coronavirus outbreak.

Singer, Dancer and model Ciara and her Seattle Seahawks quarterback husband Wilson announced on their social media pages  Tuesday, March 17 that they would be lending a helping hand by supporting their Seattle community by donating 1 million meals to Food Life Line.

“The world needs us ALL,” Ciara captioned a video of the couple announcing the donation. “These are unprecedented times. We are supporting out community in Seattle by donating 1 million meals with Seattle @FoodLifeLine.”

They then asked everyone to support their local foodbank.

Another celeb couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds pledged $1 million to food banks in the U.S. and Canada that are currently overwhelmed with demand.

Golden State Warriors player Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha, who donated to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and Feeding America.

Also, New Orleans Pelicans rookie sensation Zion Williamson committed to covering the salaries at the Smoothie King Center where his team plays, for 30 days.

View this post on Instagram

The people of New Orleans have been incredibly welcoming and supportive since I was Drafted by the Pels last June, and some of the most special people I have met are those who work at smoothie King Center. These are the folks who make our games possible, creating the perfect environment for our fans and everyone involved in the organization. Unfortunately, many of them are still recovering from long term challenges created by Katrina, and now face the economic impact of the postponement of games because of the virus. My mother has always set an example for me about being respectful for others and being grateful for what we have, and so today I am pledging to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days. This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me and my teammates and hopefully we can all join together to relieve some of the stress and hardship caused by this national health crisis. This is an incredibly resilient city full of some of the most resilient people, but sometimes providing a little extra assistance can make things a little easier for the community.

A post shared by Zion Williamson (@zionwilliamson) on

Milwaukee Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo donated $100,000 to the staff at Fiserv Forum, where his team holds their games.

 

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This New Mom Isolates Her Coronavirus-treating ER Dr Husband Into Garage

Posted on March 17, 2020

New mom, Dr. Rachel Patzer tweeted about having to move her ER doctor husband into their garage to live in  while he spends days and nights caring for coronavirus patients.

President Barack Obama retweeted Dr. Patzer’s 5-part tweet while thanking First Responders like Dr. Patzer’s husband and other families on the front lines of dealing with this pandemic.

Dr. Patzer, who is on maternity leave, appeared on CNN’s The Lead  today rocking her three week old baby and talked about being challenged to care for a newborn while also having to home school her 1 1/2 year old and one year old.

When asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper about seeing people ignore calls to social distance by hitting the bars over the weekend, despite people like her having to make a lot of sacrifice for this virus, she said it saddened her

She also urged more Americans to heed to the advice of the professionals attempting to flatten the bell curve of daily new cases.

 

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How to Make CDC-Compliant Hand Sanitizer at Home {DIY Style}

Posted on March 16, 2020
hand sanitizer

hand sanitizer

The current coronavirus outbreak has caused a lot of people to make a run on hand sanitizers.  Sadly, the rush has led to a shortage and plenty of empty shelves.

My family traveled to several stores over the weekend looking to restock and could not find a bottle around. What to do? For crafty people, (and even for non-crafty folks) there is an option of making your own hand sanitizer.

The trick is to make sure you use sufficient alcohol to ensure the disinfectant impact remains. There are a lot of recipes out there and circulating in social media that call for a lot of fragrant oils to mask the alcohol scent and to counter the drying effect of alcohol.

The problem with that is that it dilutes the impact. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the sanitizer has 60% alcohol content. 

Commercial hand sanitizers likely have a concentration of somewhere between 60% to 90% alcohol so you have to be careful about formulas out there. I found a recipe that is basic and does the trick and contains sufficient amount of hand sanitizers

You will need:

1/3 cup Aloe Vera Gel

2/3 cup Rubbing Alcohol  (Use 99% Isopropyl Alcohol)

Few drops of essential oil in the fragrance of your choice (optional)

A pump or squirt bottle

Funnel

Instructions:

Add the gel to a bowl of alcohol and stir

Stir in an essential oil if using. 

Transfer to a squirt bottle or pump bottle using a funnel. 

You can roll a piece of thick construction paper into a cone

Do not pour it into a spray bottle as this is a gel-like mixture.

That’s it. Toss in your purse, diaper bag, and drop one in each kid’s back pack.

diy hand sanitizers

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Famous People Who’ve Contracted Coronavirus COVID-19

Posted on March 15, 2020



Several famous people have contradicted the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19

US actor Tom Hanks, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta are among the rich and famous infected by the coronavirus:

– Entertainers –

Tom Hanks and his wife, actress and singer Rita Wilson, are the first Hollywood stars to announce they are infected. They have been placed in quarantine in a Gold Coast hospital in Australia. Hanks has urged the public to heed the advice of experts.

Best-selling Chilean writer Luis Sepulveda, who lives in northern Spain, has also been infected, showing symptoms of the new Coronavirus in February, after he had returned to his home from a literary festival in neighbouring Portugal.

– Sport –

England’s football Premier League, the richest in the world, is badly affected: Arsenal’s Spanish manager Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is British, have both contracted the coronavirus.

Italian football team Juventus has announced that one of their players, defender Daniele Rugani, has tested positive.

French basketball player Rudy Gobert has become the first US National Basketball Association player to test positive, prompting the NBA to abruptly suspend the season.

Utah Jazz star Gobert has apologised for potentially exposing people to the coronavirus, after triggering scorn on social media for pointedly touching every microphone and voice recorder on a table in front of him at a media availability on Monday.

A second Utah player, Donovan Mitchell, has also been confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19.

Colombian cyclist Fernando Gaviria, is doing well after being admitted to hospital in the United Arab Emirates 10 days ago.

Politicians –

Canadian premier Trudeau has been placed in isolation for two weeks after his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau tested positive.

Spain’s equality minister Irene Montero has tested positive and has been quarantined along with her partner, deputy prime minister and radical left Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias.

French Culture Minister Franck Riester is staying in his Paris home after contracting the coronavirus earlier this week.

British MP Nadine Dorries, a minister in the health department who helped craft the legislation to fight the bug, has tested positive, the first British politician to do so.

Several senior officials in Iran have been infected, including Vice President Massoumeh Ebtekar and Iraj Harirchi, deputy health minister.

Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, has entered hospital quarantine after being infected. He recently met Ivanka Trump, the daughter and aide of US President Donald Trump.

Fabio Wajngarten, a top aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has tested positive for the disease following a trip on which both met with the US president. Bolsonaro is awaiting results of his own test.

Reprinted with permission -France AFP

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Top 10 Baby Names of 2020 So Far: {The Curfew Babies Edition}

Posted on March 13, 2020

Now that the novel coronavirus is forcing a lot of schools and workplaces to shut down and driving everyone indoors and to work and go to school from home, a lot of families will be spending more time together.

Not having to get up early to go to an office means later, more leisure nights, snuggling with the one you love and sometimes getting intimate.

Naturally, we can foresee a possible baby boom about 40 weeks from these days.

Just in time, the guys at Names.org,  this week, released their predictions for the Most Popular Baby Names of 2020.  New entries in the top 10 for boys this year includes Henry and Alexander, while Mila cracked the top 10 for girls.

The rankings were determined by analyzing the most recent data from the Social Security Administration, trends from the past five years, and current user interest from millions of visitors to our site.

So while it is probably too soon to be thinking of names, or having a baby, depending on whether you want a common popular name or not, it doesn’t hurt to take a sneak peek at the names that are trending already 3 months into 2020.

baby girl

  1. Emma
  2. Olivia
  3. Ava
  4. Isabella
  5. Charlotte
  6. Sophia
  7. Amelia
  8. Mia
  9. Mila
  10. Harper

baby boys

  1. Liam
  2. Noah
  3. William
  4. Olivia
  5. Lucas
  6. Benjamin
  7. Elijah
  8. James
  9. Henry
  10. Alexander

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