The Bird Nest Press

A friend sent me this article from the Washington Post from a reader wondering why her friend, who has kids, treats her as such a low priority. I had to chuckle while reading it. It really is amazing how life changes when you have kids. I feel like the columnist’s response is a bit harsh; the reader is asking a genuine question, and I can remember not understanding why my parent friends had so little free time, back in the days when I didn’t have kids.

In any case, it’s an interesting read, and a good reminder to give yourself a pat on the back and that you’re not alone in having difficulty explaining where all your time goes.

Have a great weekend!

Good news, folks! The 5 Blocks Out community website has launched. I’ve talked with many a parent about needing a site like this so we took it upon ourselves to build one. It is now online for you to peruse.  H-U-R-R-A-Y!

For those of you who are new to 5 Blocks Out, it’s a website for people who spend time in Toronto and love neighbourhoods, enjoy walking and biking to local stuff, and like supporting green and locally owned businesses.

In particular, the Bird Nest section of the site helps parents help each other. On the Bird Nest we can share information with each other about where to…

• find other parents
• entertain the little ones
• have a lovely afternoon out at kid-friendly places, without being stranded looking for changetables and spaces to breastfeed
• find decent kid-related gear at reasonable prices

You can see tips other parents have left, and, as a member, add tips of your own. You can also subscribe to get updates from other parents in your neighbourhoods. It’s free, sign-up is easy, and your privacy is respected.

Check out the Bird Nest and
get a free membership today.

I recently attended an all-day outdoor birthday party that nearly turned from summer delight into tragic disaster. Despite there being lots of adults nearby, a guest’s child came moments away from drowning.  I’m still shaken by the event, and I want to share what I learned so this doesn’t happen to you.

Here’s the story: One parent — let’s call her “Beth” — was in the pool helping her 2 1/2 year old tour the shallow end on a floating toy. Simultaneously 3 other kids of various swimming abilities, all roughly 6 years old, swam around the shallow end. There were no other adults near the pool.  When I arrived at the pool’s edge (dragged by a toddler desperate to get in) I saw a boy in the water behind Beth’s back and I remarked aloud to her, “Hey, who’s treading water over there?”. From my brief stint as a teenage lifeguard I remembered how hard it was treading water, and I was surprised to see a six-year old doing it.

No sooner were the words out of my mouth than he sank below the surface, hands waving and clutching silently above his head. In a split-second he had gone from what looked like treading water to drowning.

Beth turned around, let go of her own non-swimming child on the floating toy, and immediately dove to rescue the boy. She pulled him up to the surface, where he coughed out all the water he had inhaled and began to wail (a comforting sound, now that he was breathing again). In the meantime I grabbed her toddler from the floating toy, kept my own toddler out of the water, and alerted the other adults with a yell.

“He must have been holding onto the floaty to start with,” Beth said to me later, when things calmed down. She’s smart as a whip, an alert, responsible mother of two, and a great swimmer. She just couldn’t see him.

We got lucky. He would probably have drowned had I not happened by the side of the pool at that moment and had Beth not reacted so quickly. And had I not spoken aloud we may not have realized that he was, in fact, drowning. I really did think he was treading water, right up to the instant when he suddenly went under.

Coincidentally, a day later a friend sent me this blog post by Mario Vittone: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning. His story is remarkably similar to what I witnessed, and it explained perfectly what I had seen.

Key takeaways:

1. You must have a capable adult explicitly commit to lifeguarding each child.
2. If you are lifeguarding you must be outside the pool in order to have a view of all activity in the pool. When you’re in the pool you can’t see people who are behind you, under the surface, or obscured by things like floating toys.
3. A child that appears to be treading water may actually be drowning.
4. Drowning doesn’t look like anything like the way it’s portrayed in movies. For instance, drowning people:
   1. are unable to call out for help because they are too busy trying to get a breath
   2. can’t wave their arms for help because they are too busy trying to pull themselves above the water’s surface

Mario’s blog post goes into detail on these and other signs of drowning. As he suggests, the best way to make sure someone isn’t drowning is to ask them if they are OK. If they can talk, they are probably alright.

I wish you safe swimming this summer.

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As the summer weather unfolds and we start to peel off layers of clothing it’s time to think about how to protect ourselves from the sun. Protecting our little ones from the sun is especially important since their skin is more sensitive than ours.

Not convinced? The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that we get about 80 percent of our total lifetime sun exposure in the first 18 years of life, making sun prevention in childhood very important to prevent skin cancer later in life. And the Canadian Cancer Society suggests an estimated 1/3 of all new cases of cancer in Canada are skin cancer, while the incidence rate continues to rise. Yikes!

The best way to reduce sun exposure is to stay out of the sun as much as possible between 11am and 4pm. In addition to the strength of the sun’s rays the effects are increased by reflection from water, sand and snow. The next best choice to staying in the shade is covering up with some cool clothing that blocks the sun’s powerful rays.

Sunscreen plays an important secondary role in protecting body parts that are hard to cover with clothing. The latest scientific findings are that we ought to use sunscreens that deter both UVA and UVB rays. Since UVA rays have recently been linked to causing cancer and wrinkles you would expect the SPF numbers to account for both UVA and UVB protection levels. Unfortunately this is not the case. SPF ratings were introduced in 1962 to measure the sunscreen’s effect in blocking the UVB rays that cause sunburn. UVA protection has not been part of the rating of sunscreens.

The American FDA is expected to establish rules for UVA ratings, which will include a star rating, where four stars would provide the highest protection available from UVA rays.  This is expected to role out in the fall 2010. Let’s hope that something similar will occur here in Canada.

Until the government implements a requirement for properly labeled sunscreens stating protection levels and any lousy chemicals they contain we can rely on the Environmental Working Group to suggest some alternatives. Recently the Environmental Working Group completed an independent scientific analysis of sunscreens in the United States. The study found that 92% of brand name sunscreens didn’t sufficiently protect skin from sun damage, contained hazardous chemicals, or both.

You can use the EWG database to search the brand you use and see if it leaves you overexposed to damaging UVA rays, if it breaks down in the sun, or if it contains potential hormone-disrupting compounds. They also created a short list of top-rated sunscreens.  Many of the top rated sunscreens contained the minerals zinc or titanium. They claim this is the best choice for people who are looking for the best UVA protection without any sunscreen chemical considered to be a potential hormone disruptor. Check their lists here. The Badger sunscreens are readily available in Toronto local health food stores like Qi Natural Foods in Roncesvalles and the Big Carrot in Danforth Village.

To summarize, the recommended actions to reduce sun exposure are the following:

1) Stay out of the sun as much as possible between 11am and 4pm, when the sun’s rays are the strongest

2) Cover up with clothing that protects the skin – hats and shirts especially (tightly woven and thicker fabrics tend to have more protection from the sun). There are UV rated shirts that you can buy little kids to keep them shielded from the sun when they swim. Like this one or this stuff.

3) Use a sunscreen that has been proven to protect from both UVA and UVB rays with a minimum SPF of 30. Check the EWG list for independently tested sunscreens that passed the grade.

4) Re-apply the sunscreen frequently to ensure it hasn’t worn off (at least every 2 hours and after sweating or swimming).

5) Remember that if you are taking antibiotics and some other medications you may be particularly susceptible to sunburns.

Learn more:

http://www.skincancer.org/understanding-uva-and-uvb.html

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/05/21/f-health-sunscreen.html#ixzz0qhBnfJcF

Busy moms are tired!  And it’s no wonder considering that moms (and dads) are up throughout the night and learning on the fly, all while getting to know a special little person (or two!).  There is a point, though, when moms have to assess their health and make sure that they are getting the nutrition they need.  It is easy to skip meals and ignore health needs when there are more pressing demands from a child.

Moms need to monitor three things after a new baby arrives, and well into toddlerhood: their thyroid, iron levels and immune system.  Deficiencies in any of these areas can cause fatigue, making them particularly easy for a tired mother to overlook.

Thyroid

After having a baby, some mothers may experience what is known as Postpartum Thyroiditis.  This can occur the first year after baby arrives and the effects and symptoms are the same as Hypothyroid.   The thyroid is the body’s thermostat and if it isn’t working many other things in the body go awry.

The two most common symptoms of hypothyroid are fatigue and the inability to tolerate cold.  Other symptoms include loss of appetite, easy weight gain, elevated cholesterol, painful menstruation, fertility problems, muscle cramps, migraines, infections, constipation and depression.

Eat plenty of: apricots, dates, eggs, molasses, parsley, potatoes, prunes, raw seeds, whole grains, fish, chicken, milk & cheese.

Eat moderately: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, mustard greens, peaches, pears, radishes, spinach & turnips.  They may lower thyroid function.

Avoid processed and refined foods, white flour & sugar.

Do moderate exercises, yoga, or walking, and avoid fluoride & chlorine (found in tap water) as they block iodine receptors in the thyroid, reducing iodine hormone production and resulting in hypothyroidism.

Iron Levels

“Anemia”, also known as low iron, is a medical condition in which red blood cells are reduced, decreasing the amount of oxygen the blood can carry.  During pregnancy iron is in high demand as a new child is developed.  After pregnancy a new mother is left with low iron stores which have to be rebuilt.

The first signs of low iron are: loss of appetite, constipation, headaches, irritability, fatigue and weakness.

Eat plenty of: apples, apricots, asparagus, bananas, broccoli, egg yolks, kelp, leafy greens, parsley, raisins, rice bran, squash, whole grains, and sweet potatoes.

Eat moderately: almonds, cashews, cocoa, chocolate, spinach, nuts and beans.

Avoid processed and refined foods, white flour & sugar.

Most important for iron:  Avoid eating foods rich in iron with foods rich in calcium, e.g. spinach with cheese; iron supplement with cereal.  Instead, eat foods high in iron together with foods that contain vitamin C, e.g. spinach and lemon juice; broccoli and tomatoes.

Immune System

Low immunity is common when you are skipping meals, not getting enough sleep and dealing with stress.  Getting colds or sick with anything is just something that moms can’t afford as they juggle a life with baby, family and work. Important nutrients that support your immune system include: Vitamin C, Zinc and Essential Fatty Acids (the Omegas).

Eat plenty of: fresh fruit and vegetables and fish, garlic and onions, whole grains, pumpkin seeds, ground flax seed or flax oil.

Eat moderately: red meat.

Avoid: Sugar (it depresses the immune system), processed and refined foods, and white flour.

Look for a probiotic supplement as well as this helps promote healthy digestion and strong immunity.

In summary

The most important thing for a mom to do is to carve out a space for self-care.  This isn’t just time at the spa (which would be awesome!), but it means eating every 2 to 3 hours, getting fresh fruit and vegetables and getting enough rest.   You can’t take care of anyone else if you aren’t taking care of yourself.

About Laurie: “I am a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I have a passion for family planning. I help couples with supportive nutrition as they plan for a family, after baby arrives and into the school years.   On my blog I share information on baby and toddler food and recipes I have developed and found.” www.lkmnutrition.ca

The Bird Nest Press is a community-powered blog that strives to make city living with young kids easier and more fun. We’re focused on helping young families in Toronto’s downtown neighbourhoods. 

Bird Nest Press is a collaborative effort: readers suggest topics and contribute to the content by voicing their thoughts on 5 Blocks Out, our free online community where people share local knowledge about Toronto’s neighbourhoods.

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