urbanMamas - The Conversation

Comment by Andrea on "Please Share Birthing Experiences with Kaiser"

Andrea — 2008-01-19T20:46:45-08:00

I gave birth at Sunnyside in 2005 and had a positive experience. I had really wanted a home birth but couldn't afford it so we went with the nurse midwives at Sunnyside. I opted to work with one midwife throughout my pregnancy and then take my chances during the birth. Having a relationship throughout my pregnancy was so great because the midwife wrote great notes about me, who I am, my preferences, and even stuff about my husband who was there every step. When it came time for the birth, the nurse and midwife caring for us had a better idea of who we were because of those notes. I did not have any pain medication which was very important to me and the nurses really helped that happen. Everyone was very respectful and my wishes were respected. I opted out of any vaccinations, our daughter never left my side, we co-slept (which the nurse even suggested was an option). We had a little trouble breastfeeding and although the nurses were a little concerned, the lactation consultant was calm and told me not to worry about it. My experience was very positive and I really was worried going into it. The nurses and midwives that I worked with were fabulous with my family and truly helped me to have the best birth experience I could within a hospital setting.

I wish you the best and hope that your experience is what you hope for.

Comment by Lee Ann on "The Next Naked Mamas Party: Be there!"

Lee Ann — 2008-01-19T19:59:42-08:00

Any more of these coming up? I'm already outgrowing my maternity pants! :(

Comment by MG on "How do you purge the plastic?"

MG — 2008-01-19T19:46:21-08:00

I agree with the -- anything in moderation feels okay to me. I'm mindful of not choosing plastic if I have a choice, but I also don't ban it from our house either. When I first wanted to move away from plastic food storage I was overwhelmed by the cost. Then I discovered mason jars (which one other people mentioned they use). I have to say they are much cheaper, and very durable. To keep things simple I only buy jars that use the same size lids. So for the small jars I use the low flat mason jar. I find these extremely versatile -- I use them for storage in the pantry and in the fridge, they are easy for my son to reach into for snacks on the go, and I also have a separate set I use for his paints. Knock on wood, but they have been dropped numerous times in our house, on the sidewalk, out of the car... (usually by me and not my son) and in four years only one has broken on me. I also recommend the quart size and the 1/2 gallon size (what I use for the frozen oj, soup leftovers, to store crackers, pretzels, cereal...). Almost all grocery stores have them and they range in price from $8-$12 dollars for a twelve pack, depending on the size. To keep things simple I do buy the plastic lids separately just because I find them easier and the food never touches the lid, but I also use the metal ones too.

As for the bathtoys -- if they aren't eating them, I don't worry about them. But they do sell I nice wooden boat for the bath at SpielWerks (a nice toy store in Sellwood which only sells nonplastic toys).

As for sippy cups -- I know people love how easy they are but because I personally can't stand drinking out of them, I never gave them to my son. Instead, there is a little market on Freemont and NE 42 (or 39th?) that sells little tin cups with little handles for $1.25 a piece. They keep them tucked away -- by the copy machine. If he's on the couch, I just pull a little chair over for him to set his drink on. He's 2 1/2 now and he doesn't spill any more than my husband does. When there is a still -- hot water on a rag seems to get everything out. We do keep one sippy cup in the house because before I did my son used to try to take them away from other children at the park. Sometimes children crave what they can't have so I keep it in the house but we rarely use it. It comes back to anything in moderation for me.

Comment by Mama G on "How do you purge the plastic?"

Mama G — 2008-01-19T18:29:16-08:00

Looks like there is a real high demand here... where's the one place we can go for all of these things?! I sure appreciate all of the feedback and feel a lot better having some understanding of the different labels on the plastics we use. I decided to buy some stainless steel plates/bowls at REI (the type sold for camping)- they also sell SIGG & Kleen Kanteen. Of course they aren't as cute as most sippy cups and my 4 y-o is sad that her favorite fishy sippy is gone. How cool would it be if there were some fun designs on the stainless bottles?! I also found the foogo sippy at babies-r-us in Tigard. Then I headed to "storables" and bought a bunch of glass containers (they have a wide selection). Will check out local shops next and am sorry I didn't read about them before I made my journey this morning. Love the idea of keeping glass jars to use for storage. Makes me re-think buying things like mayo & mustard in the handy "squeezable" bottles - now I'm going to go for the traditional glass. Will tackle the toys next... Does anyone know of good teethers that aren't made of plastic? And, I'm still wondering if anyone knows the difference b/w (7) and (7 PC)?? Thanks!

Comment by kathy on "A Spoonful of Sugar Will Help the Medicine Go Down?"

kathy — 2008-01-19T15:05:12-08:00

We've been through this scene many times and I finally found a little trick that does help.
If you use a syringe, the trick is to not pull the syringe out of their mouth right away after you squeeze the medicine out....keep it in their for another few seconds and wiggle it around and for some reason it helps to force the medicine down. Yes, they will probably be fighting you to be done, but in that little struggle they naturally will swallow.
When you pull the syringe out as soon as it's been squirted, the medicine is usually just sitting in the mouth still and that's when they will spit it out. I have also had my husband help to hold a head still, although it breaks my heart to see them get so upset, it really does go quick and then it's done and the medicine is where it needs to be!

Comment by Michelle on "Please Share Birthing Experiences with Kaiser"

Michelle — 2008-01-19T15:00:31-08:00

I delivered my little Charlie at Kaiser Sunnyside in '04 and it was great! My regular midwife (Tom) was not on duty the morning of Charlie's birth but the midwife who was on was super. The delivery was med-free and I felt no pressure. No complaints!

Comment by elizabeth on "A Spoonful of Sugar Will Help the Medicine Go Down?"

elizabeth — 2008-01-19T14:48:49-08:00

I had to give my son some really awful tasting prescriptions (The dr even said they were awful) so I bought a bag of gummy worms and let him pick a gummy each time he took the meds (2x day). Depending on the kid it could be stickers, etc. I also let him have a sippy chaser ( he is too old for a sippy but it helped him know he could chug water after the bad tasting stuff)

Comment by Michele S. on "Please Share Birthing Experiences with Kaiser"

Michele S. — 2008-01-19T13:03:39-08:00

I had twins who were born in 2005 and we had, and still have, Kaiser insurance. I started out with a midwife at Sunnyside (Tom Lloyd- yes, a male midwife- he is awesome) and then saw mostly MD's toward the end. I second all the positive things people said above. I did not give birth at Sunnyside in the end but have seen the new birthing center and it is beautiful. I found the lactation support VERY helpful as we did not all get the hang of it for nearly a month. I don't remember them pushing formula but I was attached to the pump constantly. Anytime I wanted to come in and get the kids weighed pre/post feeding to see if they were getting anything or needed help/suggestions, the LC was happy to have us.
My only gripe was that the MD who finally did my C-section at St. V's was far from warm and cuddly but the nurses were great. They warned me beforehand that he was excellent at the surgery but a bit lacking in bedside manner.
Best of luck!

Comment by hil on "Naked Baby Children's Clothing Swap"

hil — 2008-01-19T12:42:04-08:00

I'll be bringing boy items newborn to 12 months. Thank you!!!

Comment by Janice on "How do you purge the plastic?"

Janice — 2008-01-19T12:35:30-08:00

New Seasons has small metal containers, but the center of the lid is plastic (to be see-through, I guess).

Comment by Janice on "A Spoonful of Sugar Will Help the Medicine Go Down?"

Janice — 2008-01-19T12:28:35-08:00

My daughter used to do the whole flailing, struggling, spitting thing. Half the dose would end up running down her chin and we all got upset. But we've learned a few tricks--no idea whether they will transfer to another child, but you're welcome to try.

1. You can ask the pharmacy if they can give the antibiotic a different flavor. My daughter can't stand the bubble-gum flavor they usually add to amoxycilin, but she tolerates the berry flavor.

2. We give her some control over it. I was really leery of this one at first, but it works great. We pour out the dose into one of the little cups or tubes (she likes little things, so this helps), and she lifts it, drinks it, all by herself. She needs encouragement to take her "med-sin," and she has to take lots of little drinks, but she does it without the flailing, spitting, etc. We have a big glass of water or milk nearby, so she can wash away the taste in between drinks if she needs to. We started this when she was about 2.5.

3. Distraction is a big help. With medicine when she was younger or other unpleasant tasks, it helps us to sing songs, read books, watch a DVD or slideshow of all out photos. Maybe your son would drink the medicine (in diluted form?) while sitting on your lap watching something that's a treat.

Good luck!

Comment by maura on "How do you purge the plastic?"

maura — 2008-01-19T12:23:59-08:00

I had been looking for months for a good little stainless steel container with a lid and I just found some at New Seasons on Division. They are made by RSVP and you buy the bowls individually and then the plastic (not sure what type!) lids in a pack of 3 or 4. I am using for school lunch and snacks for the park, etc. We use the wax paper bags for lots of stuff, but I would prefer to keep the waste down and some things just don't store well in wax paper.

A good source for individual glass jars for storage is the Alberta Co-op. They sell many different sizes. And you don't have to buy a whole case.

Comment by Erica on "A Spoonful of Sugar Will Help the Medicine Go Down?"

Erica — 2008-01-19T11:51:55-08:00

Jackson had to take oral steroids one time for asthma. I try everything that he takes and it is truly the most horrible tasting stuff. But, like the antibiotics it is one of those somewhat non-negotiable things. So, I empathize, "yes, this will taste yucky," have some gummy worms (3) ready for immediately after the meds have been downed, and offer a choice. The choice is that he can take it in a med cup or, he will get it in the syringe. We've done the flailing body, forcing of meds and he realizes that having some control, via the cup, is a more tolerable choice. I hope this might help with your kiddo.

Comment by Lara on "Naked Baby Children's Clothing Swap"

Lara — 2008-01-19T11:49:59-08:00

I will be bringing girls stuff up to 12mths and some boys things, mostly 3T. See you all there.

Comment by Stephanie Durben on "Pregnant with abnormal glucose and anemia"

Stephanie Durben — 2008-01-19T11:45:12-08:00

I am just about to enter my 37th week of my first pregnancy and a few months ago my OB informed me that I was pretty anemic. It was recommended that I take 325mG of iron 3x a day, which I knew could really put some other things out of whack. My glucose levels were okay, but I wanted to share with you some of the things I discovered about iron and it's absorption that have helped me get my levels up without any negative side effects. I learned that calcium inhibits the absorption of iron, while Omega 3's encourage it. I also learned that liquid iron is more easily absorbed than when it is in pill form. That said, rather than taking the recommended 325mG 3X/day I took 16mG 1X/day in liquid form and at the same time took a fish oil supplement. I also tried to avoid having any dairy at that time (though the Calcium is really important to fit into your diet at other times of the day). In addition I made sure to take my daily prenatal vitamin and threw spinach into smoothies for breakfast and snacks. I also choose to inform my OB that I was uncomfortable with her recommendation and was going to try to get my levels up a bit more creatively. It was a slightly akward conversation (I did not want to disrespect or undermine her), but was glad to make that step in advocating for my care and communicating openly with my care provider. Both she and her assistant have been impressed with how my levels have improved. I've listed below the brands of supplements I have used, just in case you find that helpful.

1) NatureWorks European Liquid Formula Herbal Iron (in the refrigerated section)
2) Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Purified Fish Oil
3)Rainbow Light Just Once Prenatal One Vegan Guard Multivitamin

I wish you well in this journey of pregnancy and motherhood!

Comment by olivia on "Interested in joining Saturday Morning Runs?"

olivia — 2008-01-19T11:41:33-08:00

Jennifer,

Awesome idea to set up the yahoo group! It works great to coordinate walks, times, and meeting places. For those of you who are interested in the walking group, be sure to join urbanMamasWalk: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/urbanMamasWalk/

Comment by Richa on "Interested in joining Saturday Morning Runs?"

Richa — 2008-01-19T11:33:32-08:00

Would love to join in for Saturday morning walks. Am also in NE...Wilshire park and neighborhood would be perfect. email me: verma_richa@hotmail.com

Comment by Betty R on "A Spoonful of Sugar Will Help the Medicine Go Down?"

Betty R — 2008-01-19T11:26:08-08:00

I don't know if the Rite-Aid pharmacies here in Portland offer this service, but in SF, the pharmacies could flavor your child's liquid medicine so that it would taste somewhat better. There was a good variety of flavors to choose from too from what I can remember. I think that there was a small fee to have it mixed in.

Comment by allison on "Please Share Birthing Experiences with Kaiser"

allison — 2008-01-19T11:11:03-08:00

We had our daughter there in 2005 and loved it. I really felt like the entire facility and staff was on a more human scale than the other hospitals, and the staff gave me plenty of time and attention. I felt like my birth plan was honored, the medical staff and midwives were excellent, and the facilities were comfy enough, despite their hospitalness.

I had a doula as well. I think that just having two supportive adults in the room would have worked out well, too (husband and doula, partner and mother, sister and friend, etc.).

I also felt very supported with breastfeeding. My experience was different than Zinemama's in that they didn't push formula on me in any way. Which brings up another point - that every woman's experience is going to be different. Good luck with your pregnancy and birth!

Comment by Liz on "How do you purge the plastic?"

Liz — 2008-01-19T11:08:54-08:00

Anyone found small metal containers with lids? I'd feel better about them (over glass) for sending in school lunch boxes, that get thrown in with the rest of the class, and banged around.

Comment by Mary on "Naked Baby Children's Clothing Swap"

Mary — 2008-01-19T11:05:35-08:00

Cool! I'll be there with boys clothing up to 24mo or 2T and some shoes in the 4-6T range.

Comment by anon on "How do you purge the plastic?"

anon — 2008-01-19T11:02:17-08:00

We are also concerned with this, and use Klean Kanteens for the kids and me (I have the adult one and love it), and Sigg bottles for my husband. We love not having the plastic water bottles anymore.

We use reusable grocery bags, and only microwave on ceramic or glass dishes. I cook in stainless steel if I can, using my 2 nonstick pans as little as possible (the hazards of the nonstick chemical are another topic altogether!) I nurse my daughter and since I hate pumping, I use the 'plastic' debate as my excuse for never pumping and getting out! :)

We do still use tupperware, but I went through our plastic and got rid of anything that was made of the bad plastic. We no longer use polycarbonate anything, except a few sippy cups with handles that are my little ones favorites. It sucks because they are the easiest for her to grab, and yet they are polycarbonate! It kind of ticks me off that I have to worry about her health every time I give it to her. One thing I do is make sure I change to fresh water all the time...like, every 30 min I will go empty it out and put in clean water. Since it is the only cup she can hold at 10 months, I just try to minimize the leaching of the plastic if I can.

As for toys, we have tried to go with metal or wood. We've gotten some plastic toys we didn't need and want, and gave them away without even opening the box. We bought my 3 yr old some Plan Toys (they are my new favorite toy company...using untreated rubberwood from trees that are at the end of their useful lives anyway. Very cool.) We also bought untreated maple wood blocks, and wooden haba toys for my little one. Some of the plastic Fisher Price stuff is still around, but nothing that would be chewable. We have given away a lot of it, but at least we think we are now 50/50 in our house in terms of plastic toys.

It is hard to do, but I think the key is minimizing! I feed my 3 yr old off regular ceramic plates, and my daughter out of little glass (but durable) bowls from williams sonoma (cook-prep bowls).

I'm planning to keep paring down the plastic in our house, but choose not to worry about what I can't eliminate...because there are so many other 'hazards' to our kids other than plastic.

Comment by Lisa on "How do you purge the plastic?"

Lisa — 2008-01-19T10:44:13-08:00

I to am concerned about the chemicals in the plastics, but am just as upset/concerned by constantly having to replace/recycle unusable containers (broken lids, etc.) What a waste!!!

For those that use the canning jars for storage... Look at antique stores and garage sales for 1/2 gallon canning jars. I've gotten several (often to my husbands chagrin) for 5-10 dollars, which is equivalent in cost to the same size plastic containers, but will last forever. holds Flour, sugar, etc..very well. plus you often get a great story to go with it!

I second the Pyrex storage containers. We just got a set. Was starting to get into the IKEA ones until I was heating my lunch at work and the container cracked in half when I pulled it out of the microwave.

Comment by Laura on "Interested in joining Saturday Morning Runs?"

Laura — 2008-01-19T10:37:43-08:00

I'm up for saturday morning walks too! I am also in NE close to Grant Park. Count me in. Though I would be bringing baby since dad will be out with our 3 yr old saturday mornings already.

Comment by Makeshift Mama on "A Spoonful of Sugar Will Help the Medicine Go Down?"

Makeshift Mama — 2008-01-19T10:24:55-08:00

My 2 year old is a juice addict. I find that I can dilute anything in a cup full of juice, and she'll drink it! Try a flavor that he's not used to, so he won't notice that it has changed... Good luck!