Tuesday June 27th is National HIV Testing Day, so go get tested. To find a testing site near you, search the HIV Testing Resources directory (you can search specifically for free testing). A list of campaign events is also provided by state on the NHTD website.
Update: In the state of Tennessee, health departments offer free testing. A map of local departments with contact info is available. (Thanks to Nashville is Talking for the heads up on that)
Technorati Tags: HIV; National HIV Testing Day
MeSH Tags: HIV Infections/diagnosis
Monday, June 26, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Bill to Focus on Postpartum Depression
Via Belly Tales, a bill (S.3529) has been introduced in the Senate (on 6/15) by sponsor Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and co-sponsor Richard Durbin (D-IL) which would provide grant funds for expanded education of new mothers about postpartum depression, and require follow-up care with these mothers to screen for the condition. It would also generate additional research on PPD, via the National Institutes of Health.
Read the bill text (the legislation will be referred to as the "Mom's Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act" or the "MOTHERS Act.")
Senator Menendez's press release
The Amercian College of Nurse-Midwives endorses the Act
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Grief Becomes a Force for Change
PPD Information:
Postpartum Depression - American College of Nurse-Midwives
Depression During and After Pregnancy - National Women's Health Information Center
Postpartum Depression and the "Baby Blues" - American Academy of Family Physicians
Postpartum Depression - MedlinePlus
Recognizing Postpartum Depression - NPR's All Things Considered, commentary from a rural job counselor
Postpartum Depression - Planned Parenthood
Postpartum Depression - March of Dimes
The Postpartum Blues - March of Dimes
Technorati Tags: legislation; postpartum depression
MeSH Tags: Depression, Postpartum
PPD Information:
Technorati Tags: legislation; postpartum depression
MeSH Tags: Depression, Postpartum
Saturday, June 24, 2006
THE doctor appt.
Well, the boys are incredibly strong and healthy boys! Yay! Zachary is still off the charts in height and 90th percentile for weight and Lucas is 90th for height, 75th for weight. Dr. said that they are very well proportioned. She also said Chuck and I are the poster children for what parents should be doing *puffing out my chest just a little* She was surprised at how well we have the kids eating and drinking, etc.
But onto the biggest reason I wanted to talk to her.
She started off by asking me how preschool was going...to which I answered not so well. And I kinda described some of the basic stuff...he was bouncing off the walls, unable to focus, etc.
Dr. begins to tell me that they don't like to diagnose ADHD this early in children.
So then I say, "well, I don't think that's it completely" and handed her the list I made up of all the weird things that Zachary does or says or behaves. (like punching himself in the head if he's overstimulated). Why didn't I just explain it all to her in detail? Because true to form, Zachary was BOUNCING off the walls.
Dr. did have Zachary do a series of things to see where he was at developmentally...just really simple stuff. One of the things kinda surprised her...and me really.
She asked him "Zachary-go pick up that car please?"
He did.
Zachary, can you put that car on the chair?
He did. and stepped next to the chair.
Zachary, can you put the car behind your back?
So he stepped in front of the chair.
Her reaction?? "OHHHHHH. Okay."
I think she was a little surprised that he didn't pick up the car and put it behind his back like even I would have. Like I've said, Zachary thinks outside of the box.
So, all said and done she said that it definitely sounds like something else is going on and that we need some help with it before school starts (THANK GOD!!) so she referred us to a supposedly GREAT neuropsychologist. I think the fact that I explained to her that Chuck was bipolar also convinced her that maybe something else was happening.
I asked about seeing an Asperger specialist and she said that it could be a couple of other things too so she wanted to rule out all the other options.
So, now to try to get in with the psychologist. Wish us luck.
But onto the biggest reason I wanted to talk to her.
She started off by asking me how preschool was going...to which I answered not so well. And I kinda described some of the basic stuff...he was bouncing off the walls, unable to focus, etc.
Dr. begins to tell me that they don't like to diagnose ADHD this early in children.
So then I say, "well, I don't think that's it completely" and handed her the list I made up of all the weird things that Zachary does or says or behaves. (like punching himself in the head if he's overstimulated). Why didn't I just explain it all to her in detail? Because true to form, Zachary was BOUNCING off the walls.
Dr. did have Zachary do a series of things to see where he was at developmentally...just really simple stuff. One of the things kinda surprised her...and me really.
She asked him "Zachary-go pick up that car please?"
He did.
Zachary, can you put that car on the chair?
He did. and stepped next to the chair.
Zachary, can you put the car behind your back?
So he stepped in front of the chair.
Her reaction?? "OHHHHHH. Okay."
I think she was a little surprised that he didn't pick up the car and put it behind his back like even I would have. Like I've said, Zachary thinks outside of the box.
So, all said and done she said that it definitely sounds like something else is going on and that we need some help with it before school starts (THANK GOD!!) so she referred us to a supposedly GREAT neuropsychologist. I think the fact that I explained to her that Chuck was bipolar also convinced her that maybe something else was happening.
I asked about seeing an Asperger specialist and she said that it could be a couple of other things too so she wanted to rule out all the other options.
So, now to try to get in with the psychologist. Wish us luck.
Utter Stupidity
My name is Rachel and I have a MySpace account. With that out of the way, I got a "bulletin" from someone today that purports to quantify how much of a "badass" one is. 100 items are listed, each one worth a point, and the scoring system is as follows:
10-20= goodie good
21-30= a little rebelious
31-40= getting hot baby
41-50= rebel
51-60= total bad girl/boy
61-70= You are a pain in the *ss!
71-80= f**king bad *ss
81-90= cant believe you made it this far
91-100= see u in hell
Okay, let's start by acknowledging the stupidity of most of the "survey" bulletins that go around MySpace. Particularly when they are spread around by people closer to 30 than 20. Not to mention that this particular one was clearly geared toward the young, with items such as:
21) missed curfew
36) wore black nail polish
53) been to a concert
62) seen an R rated movie in theaters
64) skipped school
Okay, fine, it's a stupid, juvenile tame-waster. But let's look at some of the items you get a point for:
17) cut yourself
24) been to a therapist
25) been to rehab
65) had an eating disorder
79) been sexually harrassed
That's right kids, cut yourself, get touched inappropriately, and throw up your meals, and you too can be a total badass! I don't know why, but I'm completely infuriated by this, and by the near-30 guy who passed it along.
10-20= goodie good
21-30= a little rebelious
31-40= getting hot baby
41-50= rebel
51-60= total bad girl/boy
61-70= You are a pain in the *ss!
71-80= f**king bad *ss
81-90= cant believe you made it this far
91-100= see u in hell
Okay, let's start by acknowledging the stupidity of most of the "survey" bulletins that go around MySpace. Particularly when they are spread around by people closer to 30 than 20. Not to mention that this particular one was clearly geared toward the young, with items such as:
21) missed curfew
36) wore black nail polish
53) been to a concert
62) seen an R rated movie in theaters
64) skipped school
Okay, fine, it's a stupid, juvenile tame-waster. But let's look at some of the items you get a point for:
17) cut yourself
24) been to a therapist
25) been to rehab
65) had an eating disorder
79) been sexually harrassed
That's right kids, cut yourself, get touched inappropriately, and throw up your meals, and you too can be a total badass! I don't know why, but I'm completely infuriated by this, and by the near-30 guy who passed it along.
The Breastfeeding Campaign
Last week I mentioned a new breastfeeding campaign from the Department of Health and Human Services. There are currently two television spots, one featuring pregnant women in a logrolling competition, and the other featuring a pregnant woman riding a mechanical bull. The main messages of the ads are "breastfeed exclusively for 6 months," and "you wouldn't take risks before your baby is born, why start after?" Click the links above to view the ads; you can also read the transcripts for each ad. The complete set of print, television, and radio materials for the campaign is available here.
The ads have generated a fair bit of controversy, because of the intended feeling of guilt many women think the ads are designed to generate if a woman does not or cannot breastfeed for 6 months. This seems to be a fair criticism, given that many women know breastfeeding is best, but may not have the support they need, particularly in the workplace, to breastfeed exclusively. There are some good comments over at Feminsting describing the difficulties some women had when trying to breastfeed. A Chicago Tribune editorial, "The Breast Police", also addresses reasons why women can't meet this goal, and says the HHS tactics are unnecessary, given that 70% of mothers at least attempt to breastfeed. NBC Nightly News also covered the ad campaign, and has accompanying video.
The National Women's Health Information Center has a ton of breastfeeding information up, including coverage of the HHS campaign, but some of the information provided suggests the challenges that women will have. Among the recommendations:
"Breastfeed on demand" - in the section on Coping with Breastfeeding Challenges - how are women supposed to do that at work, where babies aren't welcome?
One section of the "Challenges" addresses going back to work, and says,
"After you have your baby, try to take as much time off as possible"
"Don't be afraid to request a clean and private area where you can pump your milk. If you don't have your own office space, you can ask to use a supervisor's office during certain times. Or you can ask to have a clean, clutter free corner of a storage room."
In the Frequently Asked Questions:
"Will breastfeeding tie me to my home?: Not at all! Breastfeeding can be convenient no matter where you are because you don't have to bring along feeding equipment like bottles, water, or formula. Your baby is all you need. Even if you want to breastfeed in private, you usually can find a woman's lounge or fitting room. If you want to go out without your baby, you can pump your milk beforehand, and leave it for someone else to give your baby while you are gone."
Doesn't this assume 1) you can always take baby with you (like to work); 2) there actually is always a "women's lounge or fitting room" available (are women with babies only going out to shop?); 3) you have the resources to have someone to help who can feed the baby pumped milk if you do have to go out? The website does say, "Breastfeeding is more than a way to feed a baby, it becomes a lifestyle." How many women can afford to let that become their lifestyle, when money is needed to provide for the whole family?
I can imagine that many, many women do not have the option to "take as much time off as possible," and don't have supervisors who are going to respond kindly to requests for accomodation. Are these recommendations completely out of touch with the situations of most working women? They seem to presume an office-type, professional environment. What of women who work at McDonald's, in factories, on farms? Are these employers going to allow women to take extra time off or take extra breaks to pump? Their babies might be most in need of the health benefits of breastfeeding, and they may be least able to provide them.
La Leche League provides a nice rundown of breastfeeding-related legislation, so women can at least know their rights. Let's look at Tennessee's law:
So how many U.S. women do breastfeed? Are they all completely unaware of the benefits? According to CDC data for 2004:
70.3% ever breastfeed; 36.2% at 6 months (14.1% breastfeed exclusively); 17.8% breastfeed at 12 months; 38.5% are breastfeeding exclusively at 3 months. So women are starting out strong, but fewer are breastfeeding as time passes. Maybe they're returning to work, eh? Because they have to?
Married mothers are more likely to ever breastfeed (76.5%) than unmarried mothers (57.2%). Because they don't have the support to stay home or just leave the baby with somebody who will feed the pumped milk? Same thing holds up for poverty - more money = more breastfeeding. So... think there might be some societal or economic barriers to exclusive breastfeeding?
The point, after all this, is that educating women about breastfeeding does not seem to be the problem. Reducing the barriers to making that a reality is the problem, and the HHS ads address that not at all.
Blogs covering it:
Mad Melancholic Feminista: The Politics of Breastfeeding
St George Blog: Driving While Pregnant
Angry Pregnant Lawyer: Get me a beer and a smoke while I hop on this bull
One Tired Ema: Late to the Party
Broadsheet: More on Breastfeeding from the Times
Huffington Post: Maia Szalavitz: Breast Feed or Else? NYT, HHS Boost Sketchy Science, Neglect PPD
Technorati Tags: breastfeeding; formula feeding; infant formula
MeSH Tags: Breast Feeding; Infant Formula
The ads have generated a fair bit of controversy, because of the intended feeling of guilt many women think the ads are designed to generate if a woman does not or cannot breastfeed for 6 months. This seems to be a fair criticism, given that many women know breastfeeding is best, but may not have the support they need, particularly in the workplace, to breastfeed exclusively. There are some good comments over at Feminsting describing the difficulties some women had when trying to breastfeed. A Chicago Tribune editorial, "The Breast Police", also addresses reasons why women can't meet this goal, and says the HHS tactics are unnecessary, given that 70% of mothers at least attempt to breastfeed. NBC Nightly News also covered the ad campaign, and has accompanying video.
The National Women's Health Information Center has a ton of breastfeeding information up, including coverage of the HHS campaign, but some of the information provided suggests the challenges that women will have. Among the recommendations:
"After you have your baby, try to take as much time off as possible"
"Don't be afraid to request a clean and private area where you can pump your milk. If you don't have your own office space, you can ask to use a supervisor's office during certain times. Or you can ask to have a clean, clutter free corner of a storage room."
In the Frequently Asked Questions:
"Will breastfeeding tie me to my home?: Not at all! Breastfeeding can be convenient no matter where you are because you don't have to bring along feeding equipment like bottles, water, or formula. Your baby is all you need. Even if you want to breastfeed in private, you usually can find a woman's lounge or fitting room. If you want to go out without your baby, you can pump your milk beforehand, and leave it for someone else to give your baby while you are gone."
Doesn't this assume 1) you can always take baby with you (like to work); 2) there actually is always a "women's lounge or fitting room" available (are women with babies only going out to shop?); 3) you have the resources to have someone to help who can feed the baby pumped milk if you do have to go out? The website does say, "Breastfeeding is more than a way to feed a baby, it becomes a lifestyle." How many women can afford to let that become their lifestyle, when money is needed to provide for the whole family?
I can imagine that many, many women do not have the option to "take as much time off as possible," and don't have supervisors who are going to respond kindly to requests for accomodation. Are these recommendations completely out of touch with the situations of most working women? They seem to presume an office-type, professional environment. What of women who work at McDonald's, in factories, on farms? Are these employers going to allow women to take extra time off or take extra breaks to pump? Their babies might be most in need of the health benefits of breastfeeding, and they may be least able to provide them.
La Leche League provides a nice rundown of breastfeeding-related legislation, so women can at least know their rights. Let's look at Tennessee's law:
Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-305Do you see the wiggle room in there? An employer is only required to try, not to actually provide necessary break time or appropriate areas. You just don't have the extra space? Extra break time would disrupt operations (such as in low-wage workplaces)? You're all set - don't worry about it.
1999 Tn. ALS 161; 1999 Tenn. Pub. Acts 161; 1999 Tn. Pub. Ch. 161; 1999 Tn. SB 1856
(a) An employer shall provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her infant child. The break time shall, if possible, run concurrently with any break time already provided to the employee. An employer shall not be required to provide break time under this section if to do so would unduly disrupt the operations of the employer.
(b) The employer shall make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location in close proximity to the work area, other than a toilet stall, where the employee can express her breast milk in privacy. The employer shall be held harmless if reasonable effort has been made to comply with this subsection.
(c) For the purposes of this section, "employer" means a person or entity that employs one (1) or more employees and includes the state and its political subdivisions.
So how many U.S. women do breastfeed? Are they all completely unaware of the benefits? According to CDC data for 2004:
The point, after all this, is that educating women about breastfeeding does not seem to be the problem. Reducing the barriers to making that a reality is the problem, and the HHS ads address that not at all.
Blogs covering it:
Technorati Tags: breastfeeding; formula feeding; infant formula
MeSH Tags: Breast Feeding; Infant Formula
Back from unintentional hiatus...
Next time I'm not going to post for over a week, I'll let y'all know. Things have been a little crazy around work and home, and I just haven't had the time or inclination to blog. I'll be doing a lot of catching up this weekend; some stories will be a week or so old, which I know seems like forever in the blogosphere, but I think they're important nonetheless.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Asperger's Syndrome
Well, today I head out to the pediatrician for both boy's well kid check ups. It got pushed back a little bit in order for both boys to go at once. I'm anxious about today's check up for Zachary because I'm going to discuss with the dr. my concerns re: Zachary and his behavior and the possibility for it.
I met a woman, through the grace of God, about a week and a half ago who's son as Asperger's. There have been four things that I've looked into for Zachary but not one of them has fit all the bills for Zachary's behavior and learning problems/paths. I have absolutely no idea how Cody and I got on the subject of our sons, but we found out that they are AMAZINGLY alike, despite the 3 year age difference.
Once we were talking about Asperger's and behavior, the very first thing she asked me was "Does he play with your ears?" WHAT? I was astounded...how did she know that? WEll so does her son, and apparently according to the specialist it's very common with Asperger's children. I've always found it weird that Zachary plays and rubs our ears but thought it was just a quirk of him...and maybe it is. I'm hoping to have some concrete answers soon. (not today)
But so many things add up now.
His inability to focus on certain things, and yet his extreme intelligence for mathematics and complex problem solving.
The aptitude for him to get SOOO involved in a project (usually his games) that he'll pee himself without knowing or thinking about it. And the fact that you physically have to get his attention when he's in "the zone".
How he gets SOOO overexcited when put into new situations or with new people, then because of that excitement punches himself in the head.
How he CANNOT tolerate a change to his routine or order of his toys or stuffed animals. That will create a total meltdown.
How he takes everything so extremely literally and get so upset that you are calling him "turkey" when his name is Zachary.
How he so desperately wants to play with other children and can't. He doesn't seem to possess the ability to interact with others AT ALL. He has no idea of personal space or boundaries. And other kids don't like that. I don't know how many times I've picked him up from school and found him playing with himself. And he gets so upset by it, but can't seem to make that change.
His inability to understand my "angry face"....I've always found it weird that he doesn't get "the LOOK" and yet Lucas does.
I've had people tell me "oh, I hope it's not that" but in some ways I really do. It would answer so many questions and also help to lead us on the correct path to helping him adjust and learn in a better, more positive way. I really want him to succeed in school and things aren't looking too good at preschool.
So we'll see where we go this afternoon. I'm hoping for a great referrel for testing.
I met a woman, through the grace of God, about a week and a half ago who's son as Asperger's. There have been four things that I've looked into for Zachary but not one of them has fit all the bills for Zachary's behavior and learning problems/paths. I have absolutely no idea how Cody and I got on the subject of our sons, but we found out that they are AMAZINGLY alike, despite the 3 year age difference.
Once we were talking about Asperger's and behavior, the very first thing she asked me was "Does he play with your ears?" WHAT? I was astounded...how did she know that? WEll so does her son, and apparently according to the specialist it's very common with Asperger's children. I've always found it weird that Zachary plays and rubs our ears but thought it was just a quirk of him...and maybe it is. I'm hoping to have some concrete answers soon. (not today)
But so many things add up now.
His inability to focus on certain things, and yet his extreme intelligence for mathematics and complex problem solving.
The aptitude for him to get SOOO involved in a project (usually his games) that he'll pee himself without knowing or thinking about it. And the fact that you physically have to get his attention when he's in "the zone".
How he gets SOOO overexcited when put into new situations or with new people, then because of that excitement punches himself in the head.
How he CANNOT tolerate a change to his routine or order of his toys or stuffed animals. That will create a total meltdown.
How he takes everything so extremely literally and get so upset that you are calling him "turkey" when his name is Zachary.
How he so desperately wants to play with other children and can't. He doesn't seem to possess the ability to interact with others AT ALL. He has no idea of personal space or boundaries. And other kids don't like that. I don't know how many times I've picked him up from school and found him playing with himself. And he gets so upset by it, but can't seem to make that change.
His inability to understand my "angry face"....I've always found it weird that he doesn't get "the LOOK" and yet Lucas does.
I've had people tell me "oh, I hope it's not that" but in some ways I really do. It would answer so many questions and also help to lead us on the correct path to helping him adjust and learn in a better, more positive way. I really want him to succeed in school and things aren't looking too good at preschool.
So we'll see where we go this afternoon. I'm hoping for a great referrel for testing.
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