Pregnant women are advised to stay away from alcohol, according to a new study drinking moderate to high levels of alcohol might alter the DNA of their babies.
“Our findings may make it easier to test children for prenatal alcohol exposure and enable early diagnosis and intervention that can help improve the children’s lives,” said lead author Dipak K. Sarkar, a Distinguished Professor and director of the Endocrine Program in the Department of Animal Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research’. An earlier study done by Rutgers University found that binge and heavy drinking may trigger a long-lasting genetic change in adults.
Another set of moms celebrating the start of the school year went viral recently.
This time, it was four Florida moms who posted a series of funny pics of themselves set up in a driveway in their lounge gear and cocktails hooping and hollering the start of the year.
Professional photographer Shawna Genua arranged an impromptu shoot with neighbors and friends Bridgett Brown, Jennifer Patterson and Robin Kelly.
“First day of school,” Genue, owner of Wee Winks Photography, wrote in a Facebook post. “Some of you are sad. This is me and my girls. We will be juuuuuust fine.”
They caught plenty of media attention including from TODAY Parent which covered the group this week.
It’s part of a recent trend. Last year, we did a roundup of similar photos, reposted below:
After a Summer of an empty refrigerator, a 24-hour messy house, being responsible for keeping the kids entertained, engaged or active, a lot of moms (and dads) look forward to sending their kids back to school. It’s a running joke among many parents to rejoice and joke about their glee over sending their children back to school.
I always poke fun at my Millennial mom friends and followers over the very creative ways they use social media to show off their milestones, extravagant themed kid’s first birthday or chic and stylish coordinated holiday cards and videos.
Add to that the relatively new trend of sharing the “Mom’s First Day of Freedom” on Instagram. Some moms go as far as hire professional photographers and coordinating a photo shoot to mark the occasion.
A South Dakota woman started feeling pains in her back last Saturday, suspected it was kidney stones which she has had before, went to the hospital and delivered surprise triplets!
Danielle Glitzshared her storyon a Facebook Fundraising Campaign organized by her friend who wanted Glitz and her husband to get essentials for the small family they had not expected.
I “went to urgent care thinking I’m going to have to have surgery to break the stones up,” Danielle shared. “Well, dr comes back in after doing a urine sample and said ur pregnant….so they got the portable heart moniter they use and did a ultrasound and said theres possible twins.”
Two hours later, the docs confirmed it was twins indeed and then that Danielle was experiencing contractions and was 4 cm dilated, but by the end of the night, she had an emergency C-Section and welcomed two girls and a boy.
She named them, Nikki Marie, Blake Jackson and Gypsy Zada.
According to KSFY, Dannette Giltz was in shock when doctors told her she was about to give birth to three new babies that ended up all being born within four minutes, each weighing at about four pounds, on Aug. 10.
“You don’t ever see triplets being conceived naturally, let alone going 34 weeks without knowing. So, everyone’s like I can’t believe it. We’re still in shock, trust me,” Danielle told the station.
The family has been inundated with generous donations since the news.
Anne Hathaway made her first red carpet appearance since announcing her pregnancy last month for the Broadway opening of Jake Gyllenhaal‘s play, Sea Wall/A Life.
The Devil Wears Prada actress showed up to the red carpet arrival in a hot pink custom Brandon Maxwell dress.
Anne revealed the news of her pregnancy on Instagram last month, showing off her baby bump and joking that it wasn’t weight gain or prosthetics for a new movie.
The Ocean’s 8 star also took the opportunity to send a positive message to those dealing with infertility issues, saying that her own experience “was not a straight line”.
Opening up further about her second pregnancy, Anne told Entertainment Tonight: “I am really happy. This is something I’ve been wanting for a while and I’m really happy it’s happening.”
Adding to the Instagram caption about her road to pregnancy not being a straight line, Anne said: “There is a one-sided narrative to this, and of course it’s wonderful that we celebrate the happy moment when it’s ready to share.”
Today has been quite a tumultuous one in the United States with not one, not two, but three different active shooter emergencies.
I wrote this intro a year ago yet one year later, it applies again as the US has been mired by 3 back-to-back active shooters in Gilroy, California, El Paso, Texas and Dayton, OH in the past week so I’m sharing yet again, this post about how to prep your child to survive an active shooter situation…again.
It’s pretty sad and scary because no longer can we be assured that we can avoid the type of places that these incidents occur at because there is not typical target any longer.
We may have heard the story of the little girl who survived the Sandy Hook shooter by pretending she was dead and staying still. Most kids are not prepared for such a situation and wouldn’t necessarily be that quick on their feet to think like that. It then leads us to the inevitable. We have to prepare our children for surviving an active shooter situation.
Here are some basic pieces of advice, adapted from instructions and policies created by the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) Training Institute
What is an Active Shooter?
An active shooter emergency involves one or more persons, using a firearm, engaging in a random or systematic shooting spree. The vast majority of shootings in this country are over in a matter of minutes, involve persons known to one another, and are confined to a particular area.
An Active Shooting incident does not follow this template. It may last for minutes or hours, range over a large and constantly changing area, and threaten everyone within close proximity of the shooter(s).
Do You Get any Warning?
Persons may or may not receive advance warning of an active shooter. A witness, personal observation or the sound of gunshots may be the only alert you receive, leaving little time to react.
What Does an Active Shooter Emergency Sound Like?
The sound of gunshots, unlike special effects in movies and television, may sound muffled and make a “pop, pop, pop” noise. It is reasonable to assume that a series of such noises are gunshots and you should begin to take necessary precautions.
What’s Wrong With the Traditional “Shelter In Place” Process Police Use?
Traditional response to this type of incident has been to shelter in place and wait for the police to arrive. While this type of response is not wrong, case studies of several active shooter incidents have shown there may be instances where it is not possible or a secure location has been breached, resulting in an increase in casualties.
What is a Good Alternative for Pre schools and Day Care Centers?
The “ALICE” response plan has been identified to assist you in your response should this type of incident occur.
Pre-Schools and Day Care Centers come with unique factors and questions in dealing with this type of emergency. Building layout and features, the high number of younger children, and the consideration of possibly having only the option of “Lockdown” in some areas presents issues outside of normal protocols.
The staff should become skillful and think in terms of “when…then…” for an alert mindset.
Why Pre-Schools and Day Care Centers Present a Problem
Unlike most buildings, Pre-Schools and Day Care Centers usually only have one identifiable entrance for the public, but have several egress points for those in the building to escape in case of emergency. These points usually lead to playground areas that are fenced in order to keep children from wandering from the premise.
Consideration should be given to these fenced areas being gated and easily opened by staff to exit. Whether in an Active Shooter Emergency or Fire, the ability to move large numbers of staff and children away from the premise should be paramount. Once away from the building, the issue becomes one of keeping the children together and moving them to a safe haven. This location should be planned out and drilled into the children in much the same way we evacuate for fire drills. Campus Safety Has an Excellent Plan for administrators of schools and day care centers you can download HERE!
What should You or Your child do in an Active Shooter Situation to Survive?
What follows is a simple, example of an ALICE for Pre-Schools/ Day Care Centers.
ALICE
“ALICE” is an acronym for 5 steps you can utilize in order to increase your chances of surviving a surprise attack by an Active Shooter. It is important to remember that the “ALICE” response does not follow a set of actions you “shall, must, will” do when confronted with an Active Shooter. Your survival and the survival of the children are paramount in this situation. Deal with known information and don’t worry about unknowns. You may use only 1 or 2 parts of the response plan or you may have to utilize all 5. In this type of incident, your perception is the reality and you will be deciding what the appropriate action is for you to take.
Alert- Can be anything.
Gunfire
Witness
PA Announcement
Phone alert
Lockdown- This is a semi-secure starting point from which to make survival decisions. If you decide to not evacuate, barricade to secure the room.
Lock the door using all securing mechanisms.
Cover any windows in the door if possible
Tie down the door, if possible, using belts, purse straps, shoe laces, zip ties etc.
Barricade the door with anything available (desks, chairs, rolling cabinets, etc.)
Look for alternate escape routes (windows, other doors)
Call 911
Move out of the doorway in case gunfire comes through it
Move children to the safest location in the room
Silence or place cell phones on vibrate
Once secured, do not open the door for anyone. Police will enter the room when the situation is over.
Gather weapons (coffee cups, chairs, books, pens, etc.) and mentally prepare to defend yourself or others.
Put yourself in position to surprise the active shooter should they enter the room.
Inform- Using any means necessary to pass on real time information.
Given in plain language.
Can be derived from 911 calls, video surveillance, etc.
Who, what, where, when and how information
Can be used by people in the area or who may come into it to make common sense decisions
Can be given by “Flash Alerts”, PA Announcements or Police Radio speakers
Information is a two-way street, if you have information share it with the police dispatch or the office
Counter- This is the use of simple, proactive techniques should you be confronted by the Active Shooter.
Anything can be a distraction device
Throws things at the shooters head to disrupt their aim
Give children the command to act (disruption tactics) or move
Create as much noise as possible
Attack in a group (swarm) if possible
Grab the shooters limbs and head and take them to the ground and hold them there
Fight dirty-bite, kick, scratch, gouge eyes, etc.
Run around the room and create chaos
If you have control of the shooter call 911 and tell the police where you are and listen to their commands when officers arrive on scene.
Commit to your actions, this is the last resort.
Evacuate- Remove yourself and the children from the danger zone as quickly as possible.
Decide if you can safely evacuate
Assist children in moving to secure rally points away from the building
Run in a zigzag pattern as fast as you can if alone
Do not stop running until you are far away from the area
Bring something to throw with you in case you would encounter the Active Shooter
Consider the distance to the ground if you go out a window. 3 floors up is considered the survivable drop zone.
Break out windows and attempt to quickly clear glass from the frame
Consider using belts, clothing or other items as an improvised rope to shorten the distance you would fall
Hang by your hands from the window ledge to shorten your drop
Attempt to drop into shrubs, mulch or grass to lessen the chance of injury
Do not attempt to drive from the area
Once at the rally point move children to most secure position possible and account for all the children in your care
Secondary Issues
Anyone may call 911 should they perceive a threat. Don’t worry if it turns out to be no issue, error on the side of caution.
Responding Police will have their weapons drawn and ready for use. They do not know exactly who the shooter is and will probably point weapons at you. Just remain calm and follow any directions they may give you. You may be asked questions, patted down, and given orders to exit certain ways.
Responding Police are there to stop the Active Shooter as soon as possible. They will bypass injured people and will not help you escape. Only after the shooter is stopped will they begin to provide other assistance.
If you come into possession of a weapon, do NOT, carry or brandish it! Police may think you are the Active Shooter. If possible, put it in a trashcan and carry it with you. If you come across Police, calmly tell them what you are carrying and why. Follow their commands.
Be prepared to provide first aid. Think outside the box. Tampons and feminine napkins can be used to stop blood loss. Shoes laces and belts can be used to secure tourniquets. Weighted shoes can be tied around a person’s head to immobilize it. Remember it may be several hours to secure an entire building and safely move an injured person. The actions you take immediately to treat injuries may save their life. Equip rooms with “GO Buckets” containing water, bandages, medications, zip ties, kitty litter to absorb moisture in the bucket should it be utilized as a toilet, etc.
If you are in lockdown for a long period of time, give consideration to issues such as bathroom use, keeping people calm, games, books, etc.
Pre-select Rally Points away from the building and practice with the staff and children moving to these locations. Make sure that the locations you are evacuating to know why and where to place you should an emergency occur. Involve local Law Enforcement in this planning.
Consider setting up classrooms and offices to make it harder for an Active Shooter to enter and acquire targets. Remember, posters and signs on windows, while welcoming, may obstruct your view of people entering the location.
These measures are meant to provide you with the knowledge and skills you may need to make decisions for your safety and the safety of the children. There are no mandates on how to survive, you are empowered to make decisions and won’t be second guessed.
What Can Parents do To Prepare for Non School Active Shooter Situations?
A book from the Alice Institute called “I’m Not Scared, I’m prepared” ($8.55) tells the story of a teacher who has to tell her students what to do if a “dangerous someone” is in their school. Because we live in the world we live in, a book like this is needed for educators and parents so that their children are prepared for surviving a possible attack. It teaches the concepts taught in the training school for all children in a non-fearful way. Children learn things like:
Listen to the teacher and the announcements
There are ways to help the teacher barricade the door
There may be a time to go to a rally point with or without the teacher
As many children go back to school this month, several struggle in class, lose assignment sheets and notes, miss assignments and forget to bring home books needed to complete homework if he or she is not organized. There are tremendous benefits to teaching children executive functioning skills. These are the type of skills top or mid level execs use to succeed in work but certainly can apply to kids as well.
Organization and focus are key qualities for many successful adults, but these skills do not come naturally to grown ups, imagine if you were taught it at a young age and grew with those skills.
Here are 5 tips to assist all parents and children:
Stash and trash– Prevent mountains of papers from accumulating by learning what to keep and what to toss. This is a very important skill, even for the most organized adults! Teach children at a young age what types of documents to keep and throw away as well as how to best organize the materials they are keeping. Your future storage bins will thank you!
Balancing work and fun – It is important to teach children that there is a time for work and a time for play, and that they are both important for a well-balanced life! Make time for studying, after school activities and dinner with the family.
Manage the day – Parents have planners, and so should children! Teach your child to use a day planner or calendar, where they can record their school work, after-school activities, social events and family time. Whether it is paper or digital, it doesn’t matter. The point is that the child learns to manage their time and sets realistic expectations for each day.
Organize assignments –Parents can help their children stay organized with color-coded folders and a desk-top storage system for their school work. Children also really enjoy label makers. Divide the folders and storage containers by subject, and teach children how to label accordingly.
Lightening the backpack without losing the work – We’ve all witnessed the tiny child with the gigantic backpack that weighs nearly as much as they do, as well as the extreme opposite of the student who shows up to class without a pen or paper. Teaching children to carry what is important for the day will help them be better prepared for class. Go over the day’s activities the night before, make a list of what classes and activities the child has and pack accordingly.
This solid advice should help parents have a basis and foundation for passing on these critical skills to their children.
Jade Roper Tolbert and husband Tanner Tolbert welcomed their second baby on Monday — and the little one’s arrival was one for the books.
“It was wild,” Jade tells PEOPLE about her son’s birth which did not go at all to plan.
In fact, their newest addition’s arrival was so quick that she didn’t have time to get to the hospital and instead welcomed the baby on the floor of her bedroom closet.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0j5li1FUhy/
“It’s surreal. I’m still having trouble processing it,” the former Bachelor star said Wednesday.
Jade, who has been married to her former Bachelor in Paradise costar Tanner for three years, (their daughter Emmy is almost two) was still around two weeks away from her due date when her water broke.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0n8YmllFnF/
“Her water actually broke at 9:16pm, as we were actually watching The Bachelorette,” Tanner, 32, tells PEOPLE.
Today, America is mourning the deaths of over 30 people following a week of mass shooters in California, Texas & Ohio
A mother and father shopping for school supplies died shielding their 2-month-old baby at Saturday’s deadly mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, according to reports.
Per The Guardian:
Jordan and Andre Anchondo were shot while trying to protect their two-month-old son, when a gunman opened fire in America crowded El Paso shopping area.
The baby was injured, and almost certainly had his life saved by his parents’ heroic efforts.
“Her husband was in front of the gunman to protect Jordan, and Jordan was protecting her baby,” Monique Terry, Jordan Anchondo’s 21-year-old cousin, told the Guardian. “That explains who she was as a person – she gave everything for her baby”, Terry said about her cousin.
Jordan and Andre Anchonda were among the 20 people killed in Saturday’s rampage.
Breastfeeding and pumping away from home comes with many challenges, not the least of which is finding time and a clean, private place to do it (no, a bathroom stall does not count as a lactation room). But, according to new research highlighting the need for more workplace protections for nursing moms, it can even lead to job loss.
An eye-opening new study conducted by Pregnant At Work, an initiative from the Center for Work Life Law, has revealed that over the last ten years two-thirds of cases that allege breastfeeding discrimination in the workplace have resulted in a mom losing her job through firing or being forced to resign.
I really love that celebrity women who are very influential people in culture are being open and transparent about their journey to parenthood and beyond!
From trying to conceive, IVF struggles, pregnancy loss, woes and all the good and the bad.
The same can be said of Breastfeeding challenges.
This January, PEOPLE mag did a slideshow review of celeb women who have opened up about their frustration with breastfeeding in social media or mag or news features or interviews.
You should take a look at it again for this World Breastfeeding Week.
Kelly Rowland’s stood out to me:
“All that gnawing at your nipples will take its toll!” the R&B singer — mom to son Titan Jewell — wrote in her parenting guide, Whoa, Baby! “In those early days, I was fascinated (my polite way of saying ‘horrified’) by the transformation of the boobs.” When it came time to breastfeed her child, Rowland was shocked by the physical changes her body immediately underwent. “My nipples were HUGE — we are talking the size of Frisbees — and sometimes I could see these veins bulging out while I was nursing,” she shared. “My boobs themselves were so long and stretchy that I sometimes felt like I could’ve swung them over my shoulders.”
